tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45488008821935415382024-03-13T21:44:03.966-07:00The Human SpiritThe Human Spirit will offer Reverend Tom's, and other's, reflection on how we can live in the world with authenticity, wisdom, and congruency. The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-39787219560943062992024-01-05T16:32:00.000-08:002024-01-05T16:32:47.779-08:00A Time of Mystery and Reverance by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 12/17/2023<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Y89AU-IbQp7pQ-Pxv7yq3-HnGEI1S5wa_PiqcpIZ25fG5p0-qypCHbYItXLy7fNRHaDJGydxJBAGYaUxVH7uIzpMYN4yJcmAdly1O7qaVWcgDSVpxDt17C9M6RDo6XUUu25P_bML1-Vg5r9k0wb5IzEN8PQ6vxnyP3c6_w1ABeOO2HYdKw0GONFZ5KlS/s1337/generosity%20mystery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1337" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Y89AU-IbQp7pQ-Pxv7yq3-HnGEI1S5wa_PiqcpIZ25fG5p0-qypCHbYItXLy7fNRHaDJGydxJBAGYaUxVH7uIzpMYN4yJcmAdly1O7qaVWcgDSVpxDt17C9M6RDo6XUUu25P_bML1-Vg5r9k0wb5IzEN8PQ6vxnyP3c6_w1ABeOO2HYdKw0GONFZ5KlS/w400-h225/generosity%20mystery.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Unitarian Universalists are not a chosen people; we are a choosing people. And because of that the ideas of mystery and reverence are complicated. Each of us holds different beliefs. When was the last time this congregation participated in a beliefs survey? Let’s try one this morning. If you’re comfortable doing so, raise your hand if<br />You are absolutely certain there is a god/goddess/divinity of any kind;<br />You are fairly certain there is a god/goddess/divinity of any kind;<br />You are fairly certain there is not a god/goddess/divinity of any kind;<br />You are absolutely certain there is not a god/goddess/divinity of any kind;<br />You don’t know if there is a god/goddess/divinity of any kind;<br />Please raise you hand if you feel none of these questions fit for you.<br /><br />In a Pew research study done in 2014 of 35,000 Americans from all 50 states on the religious landscape of our country, pulled out the information on Unitarian Universalists. The 164 Unitarian Universalists ranged in age from 18 to over 65, with 40% men and 60% women. Of these Unitarian Universalists 20% absolutely believe there is a god, 25% were fairly certain there is, 20% were fairly certain there is no god, 27 % were absolutely certain there is no god, 0% didn’t know if there was god or not, and 8% answered Other, not feeling they fit into any of those categories.<br /><br />What about mystery?<br />Please raise your hand if you have had an experience you would describe as mystery or wonder, perhaps feeling a connection with something greater than yourself, like divinity, mother earth, humanity or the universe.<br />Now raise your hand:<br />If you found it difficult to put this experience into words;<br />If you felt drawn to this experience, perhaps even wanting to embrace that experience for a while;<br />If you felt something change within you after you had this experience;<br />If you just let the wonder or mystery of the experience be inside you, without trying to define it;<br />If you tried to quantify or define the experience in some rational way.<br /><br />In the same pew research study I mentioned earlier, it was reported that 66% the UUs in this study experience a sense of mystery or wonder at least once a week. And only 7% seldom or never experienced a sense of mystery or wonder. <br /><br />How important is mystery and wonder in a person’s life? And how important is it to define it? Or is it important to define it? Perhaps it’s enough just let it be, embracing it with not having to know how or why it is. I was really struck by Annaka Harris’s book “I Wonder”. She feels very passionate about wanting adults to let children experience mystery and wonder without pushing them to come to immediate definitive conclusions about what they are experiencing. In her author’s note she writes: “I believe that one of the most important gifts we can give our children is the confidence to say, ‘I don’t know.’ <br /><br />It’s the foundation from which we begin our investigation of the world: asking questions, taking the necessary time to understand the answers, and searching for new answers when the ones we have… don’t seem to work. The feeling of not knowing is also the source of wonder and awe…[What might change if we] celebrate the feelings of awe and wonder in our children as the foundation for all learning. [What possibilities might open up if we] teach children to say “I don’t know” and help them understand the [discoveries not knowing can offer]…[What happens when we drop the role of all-knowing parent and instead talk to our children] about the limits of our own knowledge…[What insights might we gain when we, parent and child,] wonder … together!” <br /> <br />Sometimes a sense of wonder bubbles up within your heart or mind, not necessarily stimulated by an external event or experience. For instance, I wonder about the relationship between science and religion a lot. So I look for opportunities to think about and discuss that relationship.<br /><br />7 years ago, I went to presentation at the College of DuPage, a college in the suburbs of Chicago. The presentation was titled “Science and Religion: Is there a conflict between them?” It was sponsored by the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department. One of the presenters discussed the Non-overlapping magisteria or NOMA thesis. I had not heard of this before, so I was very curious. The thesis states that there should not be any overlap between the realms of science and religion. Science should stay in its lane of trying to figure out the how of the universe works--the factual character of the natural world, and development of theories that coordinate and explain these facts--and religion should stay in the lane of human purposes, meanings, and values, and the supernatural. <br /><br />As the discussion progressed between the audience and the presenters it became evident that religion and science staying in their own lanes was often difficult and also extremely problematic. Religion often uses stories and metaphors to help people develop wisdom, ethics, and morals, but sometimes religion tries to explain physical phenomena or history without facts to back up the explanations. And science has helped us understand many things about how the universe works. Scientists have created medicines, harnessed some of the earth’s elements, thereby improving our lives. But sometimes science is used to manipulate the physical world without regard for values or ethics. While religion and science are two of our very human responses to mystery, they are sometimes not as discrete as some of us might assume.<br /> <br />When we find or experience a mystery, we are prodded by it, and we seek to formulate a response. That response can be scientific exploration, a search for truth and meaning, or letting the mystery be. Which serves us best—the scientific method, a holy curiosity, or a humble awe and wonder? Do we have to choose one response over the other? Or could it be that blending approaches might serve us as we seek to apprehend mystery? How dependent is your response on the situation, your mood, your need, your beliefs?<br /><br />Each one of us has developed—or is in the process of developing--our truth about the universe. Some of us believe that existence is mostly about survival, reproduction, neurons, and brain structures. Some of us believe that existence is mostly about values, meaning, purpose, spirit. The majority of us operate using a philosophy that incorporates both science and religion, or spirituality, if you prefer. Can we resist the urge to quantify mystery, to reduce it to its physical properties? I don’t think we can. And would we want to? Who doesn’t want to find the genesis of a mystery? Humans are curious creatures—and UUs especially so. We want to know the answers. We used to think atoms were the smallest piece of matter, but now we know quarks and leptons are, but might there be something even smaller? We want to know. <br /><br />The thing is we humans want to know why everything happens and what causes everything to happen. And, for me, the reality is that we can’t. But I also believe that we shouldn’t stop trying to understand as much as we can. The thing is we have to live our lives with the limited amount of information we have today, and our time, our lifespan, on this earth is limited. Given those facts, how do you choose to respond to mystery?<br /><br />Let me share a little more from Annaka Harris’s author’s note: “We live in a society where people are uncomfortable with not knowing. Children aren’t taught to say “I don’t know,” and honestly … [it] is rarely modeled for them. They too often see adults avoiding questions and fabricating answers, out of either embarrassment or fear, and this comes at a price. When children are embarrassed by or afraid of the feeling of not knowing, they are preoccupied with escaping their discomfort, rather than being motivated to learn. This robs them of the joy of curiosity.” I wish I could say I taught my children to accept “I don’t know” as an acceptable honest response to my questions, but I didn’t. I usually followed up their “I don’t know” with a something like “well, why not?” or “well, go find out.” I wish I’d said “It’s another mystery, let’s see what we can find out together.” or “Isn’t that interesting, I don’t know either?”<br /><br />We seek to know all the answers, because when we know all the answers then we can feel safe. But when we don’t know the answers—that can produce real anxiety. Both religion and science seek to explain mystery at least in part to reduce that anxiety. Science has offered answers to causes for various illnesses and medicines to reduce symptoms or cure illnesses. Religions have offered answers to questions about life’s purpose and meaning—pain is transient—at least for most of us--and suffering can be caused by attachments to worldly things—and for those who accept those answers, they feel safer and their anxiety is diminished. <br /><br />The beliefs or truths that make me less anxious might not make you feel less anxious, heck they might even make you feel more anxious. My willingness to accept some level of anxiety frees me to embrace letting mystery be. I don’t have to know the answer to everything, even when prodded by mystery, I always have the choice to either look deeper into the mystery or accept it with humble awe and wonder. And when I decide to track down an answer, I try to keep myself open to the potential experience of awe and wonder, open to differences between myself and others, and open to possibility. <br /><br />This openness is as important to me as finding the answer to mystery. <br />There are mysteries that we may never find out or may not find out in our lifetime. And there are mysteries that we are confronted with every day to which there are no factual answers—like what is beautiful; what is fascinating? <br /><br />As Unitarian Universalists we are encouraged to approach mystery from different angles, open to new revelations, and with a willingness to consider other people’s view of mystery. My respect for science co-exists with my religious beliefs about mystery. I am a Buddhist—I believe that everything is transient and my spiritual practice is meditation/mindfulness. I am also a humanist—I believe that I must live meaningfully in the here and now and try to make the world a better place for all in the here and now. I am also a panentheist—I believe in the divinity in all things, not a god or goddess out there, but that god/goddess/spirit is part of me and everything. And I am a Unitarian Universalist—I affirm our Principles and Sources in how I live my life. <br /><br />Choosing to embrace all these spiritual paths might seem too complicated, too paradoxical, too conflicted to fit into one person. But we are complex beings with a mind, heart, and/or soul. And when we experience or consider a mystery, there is always another question offered “Do I want to dissect the mystery to learn more about it or do I want to learn more about myself by accepting this mystery as a springboard to wonderment?” When we choose to learn more about ourselves, what will we discover along the way? What possibilities open for us? How might our path through life change when we learn more about ourselves? Will we see or experience the world differently? These are big questions and I believe are at the heart of how we experience mystery. <br /><br />As a both/and religion, we can examine the science or spirituality of a mystery, let a mystery be, and/or learn about ourselves from a mystery. At this time in my life, I find the path within far more fascinating and fulfilling than getting to the bottom of every mystery. How will you respond to mystery? However you respond, know that this congregation is a place where we can share our experiences of mystery and our responses to mystery. Here we will learn from one another expanding the possibilities that mystery offers us. And here’s hoping we never find all the answers. So may it be. </span> <br /><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-5128768561063219202024-01-05T16:17:00.000-08:002024-01-05T16:17:12.954-08:00Lights in Dark Times--A Reflection on Diwali by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 11/12/2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienWfwfnm5MzqwkZs7gXuHzJ0YZgT4qTiJSM7Y1fOcP3ZT4mMSAq65mjLgwXfVfmmBsTp88Mjo2zKkwJlJsxd7s7PDCUiemCmiGkM5p8nC0g70K6J4fp8Xa7rwUFhS-YzxF9RpGadQo6LSOmORuFicw_DPPFnvUD7nESPsLcvUAu3wHYwYy1MWb_RJtAUI/s1379/diwali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="1379" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienWfwfnm5MzqwkZs7gXuHzJ0YZgT4qTiJSM7Y1fOcP3ZT4mMSAq65mjLgwXfVfmmBsTp88Mjo2zKkwJlJsxd7s7PDCUiemCmiGkM5p8nC0g70K6J4fp8Xa7rwUFhS-YzxF9RpGadQo6LSOmORuFicw_DPPFnvUD7nESPsLcvUAu3wHYwYy1MWb_RJtAUI/w400-h225/diwali.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have had many friends who are Hindu and who celebrate Diwali. They have spoken of it with great joy and reverence. But before we explore a little about Diwali, I think it would be best to share a common understanding about Hinduism, for Diwali came out of the Hindu tradition—even though today it is celebrated by Sikhs, Jaines, and Buddhists and even people with no particular religious tradition. <br /><br />Hinduism is a collective term applied to the many philosophical and religious traditions native to India. In a strict sense there was no 'Hinduism' before modern times, although the sources of Hindu traditions are very ancient. Hinduism has no defined starting point that anyone has been able to discover. The traditions which flow into Hinduism may go back several thousand years and some practitioners claim that revelation in Hinduism is eternal. So, like Unitarian Universalism, Hinduism is always in a state of change. Most Hindus believe that there are several gods and goddesses; multiple levels of reality; and that all humans are involved in cycles of innumerable reincarnations on earth. <br /><br />Many, but not all, Hindus believe these gods actively influence the world and interact with humans. Hindus also believe in karma; karma is the sum of a person's actions, both helpful and harmful behaviors, in this and previous states of existence; karma is viewed as deciding a person’s fate in future existences. Hindus believe they are stuck here on this earth until reunited with their God, Brahma. Also, Brahman is the spiritual essence of the universe. Many believe that material things around us, cell phones, tv's, possessions, even our bodies are temporary, seductive, and not always helpful in achieving ultimate connection with Brahma. Earth is viewed as a place where there are multiple opportunities for spiritual growth so that a person can ultimately come into connection with Brahma. The Universe is Brahma's creation; and he/she is ultimately good and compassionate god.<br /> <br />There are four goals in life for a Hindu: to pursue material gain by lawful means; to follow the right, moral path prescribed in the Vedas and other scriptures; to reincarnate to higher levels of existence through pure acts, pure knowledge and pure devotion; and to be released from the cycle of rebirth/reincarnation and becoming one with Brahma. <br /><br />There are four very general paths to achieving connection with Brahma, and these are based on personality types. (Huston Smith, World Religions) Some people are primarily reflective; some are basically emotional; others are essentially active; and some are experimentally inclined. Those who are reflective generally choose the way to Brahma through knowledge--learning to discriminate the difference between what is surface and material, thus less important, and what is spiritual, for spiritual growth, thus more important in how one lives their lives. Those who are emotional generally choose the way to God through love--love that is outgoing toward other people and to Brahma. Those who are active, generally choose the way to God through work--how they do every activity in life with Brahma in mind. And those who are experimental generally choose the way to God through psychophysical exercises—yoga and meditation for instance.<br /><br />Fall celebrations, which eventually evolved into Diwali, started in India several thousand years ago. These celebrations recognized the harvest. Fires and candles were lit around the fields to keep animals from stealing the harvest. And over time, people began to celebrate the end of the growing season and the plentiful harvest rather than just to try to keep it from being eaten by animals. At least this what anthropologists and archeologists have come to believe. <br /> <br />Over time cultural and religious traditions and stories were overlaid on these celebrations. The story of Rama and Sita is one of the primary stories that became associated with this seasonal festival. There are varying traditions and rituals associated with Diwali, depending on the region of India and the specific religious tradition that celebrates Diwali. There are Diwali celebrations across the world, even here in Miami. <br /><br />During these celebrations, it is hoped that Diwali will be a time of sweetness and friendship wellbeing and prosperity. During Diwali, many Hindus speak a blessing to others that goes something like this: May the diyas, the little clay oil filled lanterns, that you light within and around your home nourish you own inner flame, so that you may be a source of joy, radiance and knowledge in this world. <br /><br />What I wonder is, without appropriating Diwali, what might we as Unitarian Universalists learn from this joyful celebration? How might increasing our understanding of Diwali impact our lives, particularly as the nights grow longer? <br />Well, the themes of Diwali are the good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, light over darkness, joy over despair. This celebration grounds itself in spiritual reflection as well as communion with family and friends, welcoming anyone who enters your home. The celebration is about prosperity, good luck, and hope. <br /> <br />As I reflect on Diwali, what I experience is joy. I see the smiling faces, the fireworks, and the gift giving. If anything, this holy day seems to spark a spiritual practice of joyfulness in the people who celebrate it. <br /> <br />Earlier this year, I talked about the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, a yearly Jewish tradition which anchors within its adherents the practices of reflection, forgiveness, confession, and atonement. As I said during that service, I wondered if some Unitarian Universalist congregations could fold something similar into their programming year, an annual ritual or liturgy that grounds us in reflection, forgiveness, confession, and atonement. After learning more about Diwali, I am wondering about building into our UU Miami tradition an annual ritual or liturgy that grounds us in the spiritual practice of joyfulness. Perhaps some of you might feel curious enough to start adding a practice of joyfulness into your own spiritual practice.<br /><br />Joyfulness can certainly be associated with what happens to us, like prosperity or good luck, but here’s the thing, I believe that joy can be choice rather than “I will be happy when…” During the meditation today you were encouraged to envision joy as available to you just on the other side of a door, that all you need to do is open it and let joy into your heart. Where you able to do that? If so, what were the characteristics of joy you experienced? Maybe gratitude, being less worry, being excited, having fewer expectations, finding more beauty, seeing more blessings in your life, laughing more often, times when you enjoy your journey through life, believing in the existence of love, finding goodness in others. <br /><br /> If you were to build a spiritual practice to enhance your joyfulness, what would it look like? <br /> <br />Well, certainly Diwali gives us some ideas about practices that might enhance joy in our lives: being welcoming, giving and receiving with gratitude, gathering with beloved family and friends, and viewing joy as part of a spiritual journey. <br /> <br />As I consider a joyful spiritual practices from my Buddhist perspective, I think of that which hinders joyfulness first. Suffering can block joyfulness. Suffering that comes from attachment, the transient nature of existence, expectations and certainty in a world of change, disconnection with other people, and an unwillingness to change. Does that make sense? Would an acknowledgement and acceptance that these hinderances exist, detract from the joy? Well, I don’t think it would result in less joy. I mean the Buddha had to recognize the causes of suffering before finding a path to deal with it. <br /><br />It doesn’t escape my attention that a holiday that celebrates joy over despair feels a little jarring to talk about when there is so much pain, grief, and horror in the world right now. Sometimes it’s hard to make my heart stretch wide enough to hold grief and joy together, at the same time. As English poet and painter William Blake wrote: “It is right it should be so; [humans] was made for joy and woe; and when this we rightly know, thro’ the world we safely go. Joy and woe are woven fine, a clothing for the soul divine. Under every grief and pine runs a joy with silken twine.” Do you know that silk’s weight can be 5 times stronger than steel? I think about that when I think about finding joy and holding onto it during dark days of woe. Sometimes I’m holding onto the joy, but sometimes, the joy is holding onto me, stronger than steel under the grief and pain. <br /> <br />My friends, may you find something that brings you joy or open the door to that joy that lies within you. And let that joy give you strength to be a light in this world. May it be so. </span><br /><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-76573924280386211432024-01-05T16:05:00.000-08:002024-01-05T16:05:05.180-08:00Waking Up to Shorter Days with a Generous Heart by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 11/5/2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLlNQSnj3cpEOvCnhufWJUm4pGlmQ8JPirqZ6BQNXvQypBIgU9BzEAQjVpMt5ih04zh_VtRBUNKDG-g7sNFl5FvRRoLak8raiPVIzLuclHr0fKNqG7VHiwLPaedmKaOObK9zK2yGDlK7ZWelRr687YUcXP4N3Boo2XDYhmi6gLvRdzdPogYlqMIvqBDcf/s1388/genersos%20hearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="1388" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLlNQSnj3cpEOvCnhufWJUm4pGlmQ8JPirqZ6BQNXvQypBIgU9BzEAQjVpMt5ih04zh_VtRBUNKDG-g7sNFl5FvRRoLak8raiPVIzLuclHr0fKNqG7VHiwLPaedmKaOObK9zK2yGDlK7ZWelRr687YUcXP4N3Boo2XDYhmi6gLvRdzdPogYlqMIvqBDcf/w400-h225/genersos%20hearts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t know about you, but once Daylight Savings Time kicks in and it gets dark around 5:30 PM, I don’t just notice the shorter days, I physically feel them. I try to rush home before it gets dark. I am less prone to go outside in the evening. It just feels like I have less time in my day, despite there being the same number of hours. It is easier for me to become more self-focused, even a little stingy, because I perceive there is less time to get my needs met. And I have noticed that it is easier for me to experience larger swings in emotion, perhaps again because there seems to be less time to stop and process my experiences. I can’t even imagine what it would be like in Alaska, where the day can be as short as 5 ½ hours. I know one of our members, Jenna Way, has experienced this. Jenna, I wonder how it impacted people’s mental health and sense of activity with such short days? <br /><br />The physiological experience of humans to more darkness and less light seems universal. Maybe that why so many religious holy days, Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Solstice, etc. happen in the darker time of the year. These holidays give people an opportunity to bring light into a dark time, to celebrate, to come together with family and friends, to take time away from work. <br /><br />And one aspect of this time of year that means a lot to me is the opportunity to open my heart and be generous. Maybe that’s the way I resist my instinctive response to these shorter days.<br /><br />When I was an intern minister at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston, Texas, I remember that the co-ministers, Mark and Becky Edmonson-Lange, felt that people, especially people who were sick, homebound or had limited mobility, needed an extra little boost as the days got shorter, an experience of generosity and comradeship. <br /><br />They would, and I did as well when I served there, take poinsettias out to those people, both as a gift of something colorful and beautiful on the dreary dark days of winter, and as an offering of time—spending considerable time with them. Sitting down and talking about what was going on at the church and listening to them talk about how they filled their days. This generosity of heart and spirit had a huge positive impact in their lives. It was a simple gift of generosity that brightened their days.<br /><br />And when I first arrived here at UU Miami, Charles Bishop invited Martha and I to join him, his family and some friends to go sing Christmas Carols at a local nursing home. I had a great time and the residents there seemed to enjoy our caroling as we wandered the halls. Another simple gift of generosity that brightened someone’s day.<br /><br />This year, Jessica, our Director of Religious Exploration, will be offering an opportunity for the families participating in the Christmas Pageant to share the pageant with a local nursing home. Why should UU Miami be the only ones to enjoy this pageant created by Jessica and the kids of our congregation? <br /> <br />One event that has been part of the history of this congregation is giving to a local non-profit, to aid homeless/unsheltered families/children, or returning citizens, or families in shelters. We put up a Christmas Tree with ornaments that have written on them items that are needed for whatever group we are giving to. <br /><br />Last year we brought toiletries and underwear, things really needed by returning citizens. Jessica and I are making arrangements for us to repeat this tradition. If you are interested in helping, please let us know.<br /> <br />“The Buddha said, ‘If you knew, as I do, the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing some of it.’ …Generosity is this powerful for very good reason. Because it is characterized by the inner quality of letting go or relinquishing, it reverses the forces that create suffering. It is a profound antidote to the strong habits of clinging, grasping, guarding, and attachment that lead to so much pain and suffering. Generosity brings happiness at every stage of its expression: we experience joy in forming the intention to give, we experience joy in the action of giving, and we experience joy in remembering that we have given. As Gandhi said, ‘The fragrance remains in the hand that gives the rose.’ (Unitarian Universalist Beth Roth of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at the Community Health Center of Meriden)<br /> <br />It is certainly true that generosity brings joy into our lives, in the forming of intention, in the action and in the remembering. A feeling of being generous can linger within us like “the fragrance in the hand that gives the rose.”<br /><br />And yet, I find it challenging at times to focus on generosity when the dark times we live in are more than just the change of seasons. There is pervasive darkness shadowing our lives with the Israeli war and the rise of Christian Nationalist hate groups in the United States, hate groups that are exacerbate antisemitism and Islamophobia. Generosity has a different feel as I think about the war and the hate surrounding us. In these dark days, generosity might feel like a bit of a stretch.<br /><br />Take a moment and imagine yourself being the needy man at the end of the story.<br />"Take [the precious stone] back" he said.<br />“Instead, I hope<br />you can give me something<br />even more precious<br />than this precious stone.<br />I hope you can give me<br />whatever it is<br />within you<br />that made it so easy<br />for you,<br />when I asked,<br />to just give it away.”<br /> <br />What is it that makes it so easy for the woman to give that precious stone away? How do we hold such an open heart in this time of fear, hatred, war, and darkness? I can’t answer that question for you, but I and this community can hold a safe space for you as you discern what your answer is. How can you maintain a generosity of spirit in these dark days? Again, I can’t answer that question for you, but I and this community can hold a safe space for you as you discern what your answer is. Generosity may not be about joy in the forming of intention, in the action and or even in the remembering. It may be about the peace, justice, and the connection that comes from standing with those immersed in the darkness. Saying, “I hear you. I see you. I will stay beside you, hold your hand, during this awful war. I will stand beside while these groups spout hate and harass you.”<br /><br />I sent out a letter this week regarding upcoming events—the visit to the Mosque yesterday, the Unity March against Hate today, and the visit by Rabbi Jaime next week. I invited you to these events not just because I believe in peace, justice and beloved community and not only because these events are consistent with our Unitarian Universalist values, but because I believe that our Jewish, Muslim, trans, and black friends need us to stand beside them right now. <br /><br />I invited you so together we can embody this difficult, potentially dangerous kind of generosity. American Evangelist Dwight Lyman Moody said: “Character is what you are in the dark.” My friends we are in the dark right now. In dark times, it is vitally important that we embody our values—this is our character, as compassionate human beings. This is our character as Unitarian Universalists. I am asking each of you to have an open heart with our siblings who are afraid, traumatized, and unsure of their future. Your generosity can help reverse the forces that create suffering. Your generosity of spirit can help heal the broken hearts, the grieving and pain that our siblings are suffering. Whatever we, each and together, can do to let our Jewish, Muslim, trans, and black friends know that they are not alone, will be make a positive difference. Maybe you’ll feel like it won’t be enough, but I tell you, when you are lost and alone, battered and bruised, knowing that someone hears you, someone sees you—it can be a balm to the soul. Don’t undervalue the gift of your generous heart, your generous spirit. There will be joy in our communion and our connections. And remember this is Big Work. It’s is a marathon, not a sprint. It is about being consistently generous with our siblings in need. They cannot step out of the confusion and turbulence that they are experiencing, so we must step into it and be with them, again and again and again. This will be how we embody our generosity. <br /><br />We all need one another when we mourn and would be comforted; when we are in trouble and afraid; and when we are in despair yet still must endure. We need one another so that we may be recalled to be our best selves again and again and again. We need one another when we would accomplish some great purpose and cannot do it alone. We need one another in the hour of our success, when we look for someone to share our triumphs. All our lives we are in need and others are in need of us. Let us go forth and be generous, for the world needs our generosity.</span><br /><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-3302748576034023982024-01-05T15:52:00.000-08:002024-01-05T15:52:25.964-08:00What Do We Do? The War in Israel by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 10/15/2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKE0fFwZxnzhtn-3lo8V_Pk4swhBLZKdHmROTU2nwuHNVN1CtGVRFAolJNH2gqLVB1C5sfvwRkCFgGv5xtMLQRuGgZ9dIt0DfqYWYeQ0xCOUxVHFJNtCnEWXggwBOyIc2KD4aJMLm2XCagNanrY4TYXkMCLAOGLlq7dbyTf6diNCVZRqc-DXGLAyA-kQGn/s1483/war%20in%20isreal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1483" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKE0fFwZxnzhtn-3lo8V_Pk4swhBLZKdHmROTU2nwuHNVN1CtGVRFAolJNH2gqLVB1C5sfvwRkCFgGv5xtMLQRuGgZ9dIt0DfqYWYeQ0xCOUxVHFJNtCnEWXggwBOyIc2KD4aJMLm2XCagNanrY4TYXkMCLAOGLlq7dbyTf6diNCVZRqc-DXGLAyA-kQGn/w400-h225/war%20in%20isreal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This has been a nightmare week for the people of Israel and of the Gaza Strip. And for me and for those I care about in Miami, well, our hearts are breaking. I have Jewish, Muslim, and Christian friends who are all feeling pain, fear, and uncertainty how we might best respond to the war in Israel. As I have listened, offered pastoral care, comfort, and what advice I had to offer, the last line in our chalice lighting in one form or another kept running through my mind: “Let us bring this Unitarian Universalist heritage into our world and our lives today.” How do I, how do you, and in a broader how do we Unitarian Universalists bring our heritage of peace, justice, compassion, respect, and love into the world and our lives in this time of war and division. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hamas attacked Israel a little over a week ago. An unprovoked attack that was devastating in its effectiveness. I will not go into the details, because we have all been inundated with the horror of it over the past week. And Israel’s response has been in kind, devastating. Both sides continue to suffer losses. Hamas still has hostages. Friday Israel rained down leaflets telling Citizens in Gaza to get out—millions of people told to take their belongs and go south within 24 hours.<br /><br />This war impacts us here in Miami. There was a peace panel set to happen today at Coral Gables UCC. It has been canceled due to the concern that having both Muslims and Jews together on the same stage would be too difficult, too painful, the trauma too fresh in the minds and hearts of those people. A friend of mine talked to some of the leaders in the Islamic community. They are hurt that the peace panel was canceled. They are fearful of a return to being treated like outcasts, as they were after 9-11. They say that that women in Hajibs are already being harassed here in Miami. The Jewish community is in fear of attacks on synagogues, and have increased their security. And members of the Jewish community are gathering supplies for the troops in Israel as well as humanitarian supplies for the citizens. There are protests and counterprotests about this war going on in the streets here in Miami and around the world. <br /><br />And I wonder, as I guess you wonder, how do we live our UU values at a time like this? How can we make a positive difference, at least locally? Friday I received an email from Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East. This organization has been siding with love with the people of Palestine/Israel since 1971. The email called for an Action Alert! It said, “Multiple truths are coexisting at the moment. Yes, horrific acts were committed by Palestinian fighters against Israeli civilians. And, yes, the Israeli government and military are conducting what can be accurately named as genocidal attacks on the Palestinians in Gaza.” This UU organization has stated that “It is absolutely urgent that Biden and Congress demand a de-escalation and call for a ceasefire, and demand that humanitarian assistance be allowed into the Gaza Strip.” UUs are encouraged to contact their congressional representatives, and ask them to do what they can to restore electricity and water to the Palestine.<br /><br />Our UU president, Sophia Bettencourt, put out a statement that said, “Beloveds, I invite you to stop what you are doing if you can and sit with me in the depth of this tragedy. How to reconcile the cost of occupation and of war? How to nuance two very real histories of oppression and violence? I am holding close the words of U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland who said: ‘This is a dangerous precipice, and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink.’” She went on to say, “We as a people of faith can condemn violence against civilians while at the same time engaging the full legacies and histories of oppression that shape such devastating conflict. As a faith tradition, Unitarian Universalists have long worked for peace, and our principles and values call for the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. At the same time, we have not engaged the tangled issues surrounding Israel/Palestine in community since 2018, and our last engagement resulted in severed relationships, and deep pain.”<br /><br />In 2010, while serving Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, conflict between Israel and the Palestinians erupted. And the local Jewish and Muslim communities were in deep pain. One Imam was so distraught that he wrote on social media that the attacks on the Palestinian people were like the Nazi’s attack on Jews during Holocaust. And the situation in our little town escalated. The Interfaith community gathered to try to de-escalate the tension. Myself and a few other faith leaders personally, face to face, went to both the Imam who wrote the Holocaust statement and to one of the local Rabbis who had responded—saying something to effect that comparing what was happening in Israel and Gaza to the Holocaust was an outrage to the Jewish people. We invited the Imam and the Rabbi to come to a peace rally at my church. And while they were both hesitant and still deeply hurt, they agreed. This was a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life. The Rabbi prayed for the children in Palestine, for their peace and safety. And then the Imam stood up started to shake the Rabbi’s hand, but then they hugged. The Imam proceeded to offer blessings and prayers to the children in Israel. <br /><br />On Thursday of this week, I wondered aloud to my friend at Mosaic Miami about how we might help the Muslim and Jewish communities during this time. We came up with a plan that includes starting with just one Imam and one Rabbi, in hopes of finding a path forward, before bring in more people to find a path for peace and reconciliation here between these two faith traditions. But here is the concern, with so much grief, pain, trauma, with hostages still being held, and bombs still being dropped, when is the right time to move forward with this plan? We both decided all we could do is simply ask the local communities if or when they would be ready to begin a healing process.<br /><br />I have been telling you about an interfaith potluck that we are hosting here a UU Miami next Sunday night. I will tell you right now that many members of Beth Am and other Jewish communities have RSVP’ed that they will join us, as will people from the UCC, the Quaker, the Catholic and other protestant communities. We may have some Hindu friends that join us. Also, the Mayor and/or one of her representatives will be present. However, at this point none of the Islamic community have signed up. We are planning not only to eat together, but to invite everyone present to get know one another by offering questions for conversation. Now the war is influencing what the Jewish communities would like to be talked about. They have asked if we could invite people to talk about their response to attack by Hamas on Israel. I am clear that I do not want that to be a focus of this gathering. But I also know that ignoring the war may cause hurt feelings from our Jewish friends. And I also do know that of the faith communities in Miami, a Unitarian Universalist one is the best setting for imitating an opportunity for our communities to begin to heal together. But it’s just too son now.<br /><br />Listen for a moment to this verse from the song that our choir sang a few minutes ago:<br />Oh if the world were ours for evermore,<br />we’d have to fix mistakes we’d made before;<br />What would we reap? What would we sow?<br />What would we stop? What would we now begin?<br />What would be different now<br />if we had to plan ahead<br />for longer, for longer?<br /> <br />What will we reap at this Interfaith Potluck next Sunday? What will we sow? What will we stop? What will we begin? What will be different? My hope and my resolve is to keep the focus next week on peace and relationships, on learning about one another and learning how to be unbiased with one another. And I ask your help with that. For all of us present to keep the politics out and embrace healing and bridging as we eat with one another.<br /> <br />I offered you a reading earlier. Do you remember it? It ended with “Only extremists would have us believe civilizations are clashing. Don’t believe the lie.” I believe this, but I also know that extremists have already set off bombs. The people who have been hurt and traumatized are responding, causing hurt and trauma themselves. It is hard to call for peace, so many people are held in the thrall of retribution. The vision of normally peaceful people on both sides of this war has been colored by the atrocities each side has visited upon the other. We, my friends, must hold peace in our hearts, hold a place for healing for our Jewish and Muslim siblings, and hold hope. It’s hard and can feel ineffective, I know. It’s easier to point to something tangible, live bombs and destruction, and say that’s the most effective way forward. But it is not. We must be a reservoir of peace and hope that we can offer to our Jewish and Muslim friends who are feeling so hopeless right now. To our Jewish and Muslim friends who are suffering so terribly right now.<br /><br />One last note. This week I struggled to put out a statement regarding this war. I didn’t want to cause more hurt and pain. I didn’t want to alienate Jewish or Muslim friends. I started with “The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami offers its love, compassion, and concern for those people in Israel and the Gaza Strip who are embroiled in war. Many adults and children are suffering loss of life, agonizing trauma, and profound grief from the impact of this war. We pray that safety and peace return soon to this region. Here are a couple links if you wish to offer resources of humanitarian aid: American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC): Emergency in Israel and Islamic Relief USA.” And after hearing some feedback from our leadership and from some other faith leaders, I changed it to: “In the wake of the brutal Hamas attack on Israel, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami suggests these two vetted humanitarian aid organizations: American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC): Emergency in Israel and Islamic Relief USA. Countless adults and children are suffering loss of life, agonizing trauma, and profound grief from this war. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami holds all those impacted by this awful war in the spirit of love, compassion, and concern. We pray that safety and peace may soon come to this region.” Was one of these better or worse? Was one too neutral or one too blaming? I really am not sure. I can tell you that I have talked to some local protestant faith leaders, and they are coming down on one side or the other. I don’t see a right side in all this. I only see pain and a need for healing, when the time is right.<br /><br />We have an opportunity here. And it is a risky one. We can hold a space for peace and hope for those in need of peace and hope, knowing that both sides are not in a place right now to offer it and may not be in a place to accept it. But still this is the call as we live our Unitarian Universalism in the world. We say UUism is a beacon of hop. That’s our heritage. Please, please find a way to be that beacon of hope for someone who is in a very dark, painful, and scary place right now.<br /><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-80767661330924733212024-01-05T15:43:00.000-08:002024-01-05T15:43:02.624-08:00What UUs Do You Know? by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 10/1/2023<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDEIpg8av5U4G8Z7eb85iqCm1VhwsEOtEdW_DaDdx8BnA6e2kTAZMzp_Yz_xsV23PKZvoaLslscd9V5hQMJlT_NfsxI4O6zq1p_ub4H0iH8cYbFZnQ04EXpXwELBxAU0gXuOzC5cc65FAHcMSsKAe0its7t-L8-wpV4D1G6b39amfWVez_YoI_-9Zk5Hw/s623/heritage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="623" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDEIpg8av5U4G8Z7eb85iqCm1VhwsEOtEdW_DaDdx8BnA6e2kTAZMzp_Yz_xsV23PKZvoaLslscd9V5hQMJlT_NfsxI4O6zq1p_ub4H0iH8cYbFZnQ04EXpXwELBxAU0gXuOzC5cc65FAHcMSsKAe0its7t-L8-wpV4D1G6b39amfWVez_YoI_-9Zk5Hw/w400-h225/heritage.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I want to repeat the chalice lighting I read today: “The great are the pillars of fire in this dark pilgrimage of humankind: they stand as everlasting witnesses of what has been, prophetic tokens of what may still be, the revealed, embodied possibilities of human nature. Great deeds cannot die; they, with the sun and moon, renew their light forever, blessing those that look on them.”<br /><br />When I think of Unitarian Universalists, yes, you and I and UUs across the world, I think of people who actively embody their values in their lives and in the world. I think of people who aren’t just sitting in a chair on a Sunday morning. Unitarian Universalists find ways to make a difference in the world. I’ve known countless UUs in my 20 years of ministry and I know how you UUs live your lives—with the ethical grounding of such UU values as love, compassion, pluralism, interdependence, respect, justice, equity, and liberty. The UUs I know affirm the worth and dignity of others, the interdependent web of all existence and the democratic process. I can recognize these qualities in each of you, at least in part, because I have studied our forebears. <br /><br />I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at what one of you is doing and thought “there goes a modern-day Augusta Jane Chapin.” She was one of the chief organizers of the Parliament of World Religions in 1893. I understand that our forebears were not perfect. <br /><br />Not all them are exemplars for me—Millard Filmore, for example, signed the Compromise of 1850, which delayed the Civil War for a decade allowing slavery to endure. The Compromise outlined that California would enter the Union as a free state; in exchange, the South was guaranteed that no federal restrictions on slavery would be placed on Utah Territory or New Mexico. <br /><br />Many of our UU forebears were “great, pillars of fire in this dark pilgrimage of humankind; they [at least for me], stand as everlasting witness of what has been, prophetic tokens of what still may be, the revealed, embodied possibilities of human nature—Clarissa Harlowe Barton founded the American Red Cross. She was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War, a teacher, and a patent clerk. She provided self-taught nursing care. Barton also did humanitarian work and civil rights advocacy at a time before women had the right to vote. <br /><br />I believe that the great deeds of our forebears will not “die; they, with the sun and moon, renew their light forever, blessing those that look on them.” They inspire me. May they inspire you, too. <br /> <br />Many Unitarians and Unitarian sympathizers were instrumental in the formation of this country and of what it could become. American author, conservationist and activist Terry Tempest Williams (in “Engagement”) wrote: “The human heart is the first home of democracy. It is where we embrace our questions. Can we be equitable? Can we be generous? Can we listen with our whole beings, not just our mind, and offer our attention rather than our opinions? And do we have enough resolve in our hearts to act courageously, relentlessly, without giving up—ever—trusting our fellow citizens to join with us in our determined pursuit of a living democracy?” <br /><br />Democracy is still an experiment. It had never been successfully attempted before our American forebears decided to struggle with one another to forge and implement a new concept of government by and for the people. Unitarian John Adams struggled for years to get the Continental Congress to agree that America needed to be free from England’s tyranny. But like some Unitarians, he had great ideas. He had great courage. But he didn’t have the people skills to persuade others to follow him. May of his peers found him a little too cranky. <br /><br />So he turned to other Unitarian leaning forebears to help him—Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Jefferson believed that everyone in this country would become eventually become Unitarians. Franklin was a Deist who felt that religion, like everything else, was “something to be studied and experimented with.” (“Ben Franklin’s Religion” By Rev. Kim D. Wilson, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos, December 4, 2016)<br /><br />Their hope was that something truly special would emerge when people governed themselves. They seemed an idealistic lot—dreaming of and working toward a living democracy. Those early Americans foresaw that politics could, and would, get in the way of a thriving democracy—George Washington in his farewell address warned, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” Does this bring anything—or anyone—to mind?<br /><br />I was at a presentation some 14 years ago made by two Iowa state legislators who were both retiring. They talked about what had been accomplished across party lines and what isn’t being accomplished. One of them was very clear that political divisiveness was bad in Iowa but not as bad as it was in Washington. And one of them was just as clear that he was ethically challenged by his own party, which wanted him to put out divisive, even lying commercials about his opponent when he was running for a seat in the legislature. Maintaining his ethical stance led him to eventually quit the legislature after just one year. Our country’s forebears wrote, “Governments are instituted among Men—today we’d say people--, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” and we, the people, had consented to be governed by these two legislators—but politics got in the way.<br /> <br />How many of you believe that “cunning, ambitious, unprincipled [people] are “subverting the power of the people”—that’s us— “to usurp for themselves the reins of government?” How do you feel when hear smear tactics in commercials funded by powerful special interest groups or when you hear twisted half-truths presented as facts, or when people just flat-out lie? How many of you hit the “mute” button when you see a political commercial starting? I know I do. It’s easy to feel powerless about how our government is run. In the past 6 years, the government has shut down twice. And its likely to happen again next week. That’s not a really sign healthy democracy, is it?<br /><br />I want to repeat this quote about a living democracy is: “The human heart is the first home of democracy. It is where we embrace our questions. Can we be equitable? Can we be generous? Can we listen with our whole beings, not just our mind, and offer our attention rather than our opinions? And do we have enough resolve in our hearts to act courageously, relentlessly, without giving up—ever—trusting our fellow citizens to join with us in our determined pursuit of a living democracy?” It’s no surprise that this quote strongly reminds us of some of the phrasing of our Unitarian Universalist Principles, particularly in their original form, given how many Unitarians were active in the creation of our democratic form of government. <br /><br />“Most of the Founding Fathers were Deists, Unitarians or similar faiths that believed that God does not directly influence the world or order its events. They believed in rational thought, in personal responsibility for our actions, and the need to protect the innocent.” (“Faith of Our Founding Fathers” November 2, 2008, Jack Regehr)<br /><br />This congregation—and almost all healthy UU congregation—are democratic. We vote; we listen with our whole selves; we disagree with respect and civility. And when we fail at being respectful and civil, we do what we can to come back into right relationship with each other. We honor the rights and liberties, beliefs, and opinions of all who join us. We do not tell people they must hold certain spiritual beliefs in order to be part of this congregation—this principle dates back to A Statement of Faith written by William Channing Gannett for the 1887 meeting of the Western Unitarian Conference in Chicago. It wasn’t called Things you must believe to be a Unitarian. It was called Things Most Commonly Believed Today Among Us. Sounds more like a survey than a requirement. We do standup courageously for the worth and dignity of every person and we speak out if rights or liberties are infringed upon. And we make the decisions about our Unitarian Universalist church home, together; no-one tells us how to worship or what to worship, if we worship for that matter; we decide our priorities together. The principle of congregational independence dates back to the Cambridge Platform of 1648. The Cambridge Platform holds that "there is no greater Church than a Congregation," We try to embody a living democracy here in this church and in our denomination. <br /> <br />And sometimes its hard. We’re human. We make mistakes. Sometimes we hurt one another. Choosing to act in the spirit of a living democracy can be even harder in the larger community. Think about how difficult it is to reach across the aisle here in Florida, and how much more difficult it must be in Washington today. Yet a living, thriving democracy can help to heal the wounds of our current dysfunctional system of, for the most part, secular government. We have built a thriving democracy here, but there’s always room for improvement. As we live and grow in our understanding of how a democratic society can continue to grow, we can be an example of how true pluralism nourishes and sustains our democracy.<br /><br />In political terms, these are dark times. Note I do not say “in terms of democracy.” But in politics, this is an evil time. What George Washington feared has indeed come to pass: “cunning, unprincipled [people have been] enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.” We, the people, cannot allow these unprincipled superpacs, special interest groups, and extremist groups to “destroy…the very engines” of democracy. It seems like an impossible task, like an insurmountable mountain. <br /><br />But I recall to you searing image of the power of one person against a veritable army of corrupt men and women in power. Tank Man in Tiananmen Square. For one brief moment, a single person, armed with only shopping bags, stood in front of a phalanx of tanks and stopped the madness. My friends, we can each be Tank Person. <br /><br />I think of each of you who are signing the petition for access to abortion here in Florida. Each of you who sign are that Tank Person. <br />As Universalist forebear John Murray said, “You may possess only a small light, but uncover it, let it shine, use it in order to bring more light and understanding to the hearts and minds of men and women.” Our Unitarian and Universalist forebears inspire, call to us to sing no ordinary song in our lives. Our song must have a cadence that is relevant. One that touches the heart and stirs us to action. <br />Its every measure purposeful and strong.<br />Let this song our greatest hopes contain:<br />Well-fed children [as] its just refrain,<br />Roofs over every heartbeat [as] its tune,<br />[May] Its harmony from peaceful cities hewn.<br />[We must] Sing of hope while hammering each nail.<br />Sing of joy while pulling every weed.<br />Sing to renew a covenant grown frail.<br />May every [one of our heart songs] plant a seed. <br />Just as we plant new heart song seeds, we carry forward the heart song seeds of our Unitarian and Universalist forebears.<br /><br />Go forth my friends, be brave, speak truth to power, and together I know we, along with our Unitarian Universalist siblings and all the other Tank People, will stop the machines of corruption and unprincipled politics. </span><br /><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-3074807308791725202024-01-05T15:02:00.000-08:002024-01-05T15:02:06.693-08:00Reflections on Yom Kippur by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 9/24/2023<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7edfJ0UoAAH9F6nnIWizX3_MZNTOkuI0bmiYWkPKkZ5klznjsFtFOxmJLhvCRFtbusJURwk0vFPJ-KqzidImmAWqyj6OFJ_-Pb1vnmFwCgyyt-PLz9Cwd1e0MBZkOBqEXFg0s5pLxC_UsgiZDOtepIuSEr6UNIaGIdkh1nCpU4zG-PgGI12m3cCE1I51n/s642/yom%20kippur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="642" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7edfJ0UoAAH9F6nnIWizX3_MZNTOkuI0bmiYWkPKkZ5klznjsFtFOxmJLhvCRFtbusJURwk0vFPJ-KqzidImmAWqyj6OFJ_-Pb1vnmFwCgyyt-PLz9Cwd1e0MBZkOBqEXFg0s5pLxC_UsgiZDOtepIuSEr6UNIaGIdkh1nCpU4zG-PgGI12m3cCE1I51n/w400-h225/yom%20kippur.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Western translator, author, and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism Ken McLeod wrote, “Devotion, whether to a tradition, a practice, a teacher, or an ideal, is the fuel for faith.” I have recently talked with some local Rabbis who told me that these days the Synagogue often has only a few people in attendance for weekly Shabbat Services. But on Yom Kippur, the Synagogue is packed, they open up walls and put in lots of extra chairs to accommodate everyone. <br /><br />These high holy days are the “fuel for faith” for many Jewish people. As you hear from Bev’s explanation that Jane read earlier, this is a time of reviewing the past year and admitting to your transgressions, of re-connecting with ancestors, and of setting things right, right with god, if you have one, yourself, and everyone in your life. <br /> <br />I have wondered why Unitarian Universalists don’t have a tradition for admitting our transgression, reconnecting with our ancestors, and setting things right with god, if you have one, ourselves and/or everyone in our lives. Perhaps admitting our transgressions is tough for us, Unitarian Universalists. I do wonder if it is tougher for us than it is for the people of another faith. Is it tough for you? We heard how difficult it was for Jonah. He wanted to run away from his responsibility, hide from it and god. And we heard how he didn’t believe that the people of Nineveh deserved mercy or reconciliation with god. There are certainly times when I would prefer to avoid or run away from a problem, a person, a responsibility, an issue, a guilt, a resentment, a transgression rather than face it head on. How about you? And there have been times I felt the person I was resentful of didn’t deserve my forgiveness or reconciliation; heck there were times I wondered if I deserved forgiveness for something I had done. Have you ever felt that way?<br /><br />Buddha offered a parable that was something like this: “Imagine that you are walking along a path in the forest and suddenly, out of the trees, comes a poisoned arrow that heads right into your thigh. When the arrow goes into your thigh, do you say to yourself, ‘I wonder what kind of wood the arrow is made out of… I wonder where its bird feathers came from… I wonder how far the arrow traveled before it hit me… NO! What you are most probably thinking is, ‘Get me to a doctor and get this freaking arrow out of my leg!’” <br /><br />This makes sense, but many of us do not remove the metaphorical arrow from our metaphorical leg. We dwell on it instead sometimes for years. I know I have.<br /><br />After my father got into recovery from his alcoholism, he came to me wanting to reconcile. He had done his fourth and fifth steps in Alcoholics Anonymous, a searching and fearless moral inventory, and admitted to God, to himself, and to another human being the exact nature of his wrongs. And he told me that before we could reconcile he needed to make amends to me. <br /><br />Now you might wonder why I am telling you this story when we are talking about Yom Kippur. First, Yom Kippur is about confessing, being honest in our personal inventory, and then working on forgiveness and reconciliation with one’s god and other people. My father had certainly done these things. <br /><br />But there was a hitch to all this. At the point my father came to me, I was still in process. I hadn’t done all the forgiveness work I needed to do and was not sure I was ready for reconciliation. I wanted to think about it some more. I wanted to write about it some more. I wanted to know who made the arrow before I was ready to heal. In other words, I wanted to be in control of when and how this happened. I couldn’t even conceive of reconciliation with my father. I was stuck and not sure what to do.<br />Unitarian Universalist minister Reverend Forrest Church wrote a sermon on Yom Kippur and talked about this stuckness: <br /><br />“Look at it this way. You are reading a book. And then you get stuck. I know it's happened to you. So often it's happened to me. I read a page and then realize I wasn't paying attention. My mind wasn't tracking. So I go back to the top and read it again. Simple, right? No, not so simple. Because, more often than not, when I go back to read the page again I get even less out of it than I did the first time. I go into a kind of trance. I concentrate harder, but to no avail. I read sentence after sentence, and then get to the bottom of the page and again realize I haven't caught the drift. So I go back to the top. This time I really concentrate. I read it word by word. I hear the words ring in my brain, but they don't even compose sentences. The harder I try to get through this page, the more completely incomprehensible it becomes. I am in a trance, increasingly frustrated, more and more lost. <br /><br />In life, as when reading a book, whenever you are stuck, when the harder you try the less you comprehend, when you have read the same passage three times with diminishing returns, my suggestion follows the logic of this sacred season: ‘Turn the page.’”<br /><br />Reverend Church concludes, “Yes, you will probably have missed something. But sometimes trying to find something you know you have missed just delays you from discovering things that await you when you turn the page. New characters. A twist in plot. Or the development of character, which almost never happens when we are stuck--when we are going over the same old page, again and again, caught in a trance, looking for paragraphs and finding sentences, looking for sentences and finding words. Not able to go on. Not able to turn the page. Reading the same words, the same thoughts, the same feelings over and over again, hitting bottom and then going back to the top of the page, the same page, where we are stuck with ourselves or with others or with our lives. So that's my message … and the message of the season. If you've read some recent chapter from the script of your life over and over again, if you keep reading it over and it's making less and less sense, seal the book, turn the page.”<br /><br />So, soon after my father approached me, I turned the danged page with my father. I decided to meet with him, even though I hadn’t done all the work I needed to do, even though I didn’t feel I was ready, or in control of the situation, even though I had left so many things unexplored in our relationship. I had been working to forgive him for my own internal healing, but reconciliation? <br /><br />That was something completely different. I let him share his Step work with me. I listened, I accepted his confession, his forgiveness, and his desire for reconciliation. And I was numb. I wanted there to be more. In my head I had turned the page, but in my heart turning the page was much more difficult.<br /><br />I wanted to a new beginning with my father, but it would take some more time for me. I could now treat him with kindness, compassion, respect, but I still needed joy, love, and connection to really turn the page. I knew I had just ear-marked it to come back to it later. <br />The key ended up being the confession of my own numbness to him. Admitting this made it easier—not easy—just easier for us to work together to find the joy, love and connection that we once had, and we both wanted to find again.<br /><br />In the Jewish faith, Yom Kippur calls for confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. We can, with the help of our spiritual community here, as well as our own internal resources, do the work of confession and even forgiveness, knowing sometimes, reconciliation may not be possible. <br /><br />Sometimes, the person is dead, or is not ready, or you are not ready, or the person is not someone you really want to reconcile with—perhaps they are an abuser—and we have to turn the page without reconciliation. Our heart will not be fully healed, but we must move on in our lives. As Rev. Church says: “If you've read some recent chapter from the script of your life over and over again, if you keep reading it over and it's making less and less sense, seal the book, turn the page.” Seal the book. Easy to say, hard to do. I told you of a page I had to come back to, but within all of us there are books that just need to be sealed permanently, so we can move on. <br />What do you think about a Unitarian Universalist tradition/ritual that would focus on confession, forgiveness, ancestors, reconciliation, and gratitude? What would it look like? Would you participate in it? If you did, do you think it would help you move on, clear you of some of the emotional junk that you carry around, would it help you be more spiritually grounded or even grow spiritually? I can only speak for myself. The process with my father took years. I didn’t have any tradition or ritual that kept me coming back to the unresolved feelings that distanced me from my father and ate at my own heart. Perhaps if there were a yearly ritual that held me spiritually accountable for coming back time and time again to the issues that I needed to confess, deal with, focus on, I might have found healing sooner. Maybe reconciliation could have been easier. What about you? Would a UU Yom Kippur type of ritual or tradition be meaningful in your life?</span><br /><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-4550239921355427032024-01-05T14:48:00.000-08:002024-01-05T14:52:58.513-08:00Being a Welcoming Congregation by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 9/17/2023<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfO9j_e4sibHOmiACTMd3qagbutwm3c6EogdLSUOXctImOIpz408kEJtQlGyWxZfJWvlO9eifq5tDzSXbKc4TDH8Fu809su-kD0T2QZYqT8EVmlrY60io_BUSr1rFQEEq6n-YUgJoZLByK-r_waFJqXLcujWcN_Lj8NLgZDcKgVsXWAqNa_iEPAEjAeAo/s1454/welcoming%20congregation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="1454" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfO9j_e4sibHOmiACTMd3qagbutwm3c6EogdLSUOXctImOIpz408kEJtQlGyWxZfJWvlO9eifq5tDzSXbKc4TDH8Fu809su-kD0T2QZYqT8EVmlrY60io_BUSr1rFQEEq6n-YUgJoZLByK-r_waFJqXLcujWcN_Lj8NLgZDcKgVsXWAqNa_iEPAEjAeAo/w400-h225/welcoming%20congregation.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Rev. angel Kyodo williams Sensei, is an author, maverick spiritual teacher, master trainer, and founder of Center for Transformative Change. Ordained as a Zen priest, she is a Sensei, the second black woman recognized as a teacher in her lineage. Rev. angel Kyodo williams Sensei wrote: “It’s the community’s job to figure out how we can stretch into the so-called margins to broaden our understanding and the ability to be inclusive. Inclusivity is not ‘How do we make you a part of what we are?’ but ‘How do we become more of what you are?’”<br />Back in early 2019, I think, some of us attended a Southeast Florida Cluster workshop. I specifically remember Luigi, one of our members, being there. During the workshop, we went to a breakout group on renewing your Welcoming Congregation designation. We came back energized to get this congregation working on the renewal process. Shortly thereafter COVID happened. And everything came to a standstill.<br /><br />As many of you might already know, last year and this year, the Miami/Dade School Board refused to let LGBTQ students recognize LGBTQ History month. Teachers cannot use the students’ preferred pronouns, and the Gay/Straight Alliance groups have been banned on campuses. And the many groups that provide resources and support to LGBTQ students have been banned from campuses. <br /><br />The school years started, Luigi and Jessica—our new Director of Religious Exploration—approached me about hosting a drop-in center for LGBTQ students. I was excited by the prospect, and began considering the practical components of a project like this. When would we do this, days and times when space was open, etc. <br /><br />Not long thereafter, I was approached by Scott Galvin, the Executive Director of Safe Schools South Florida. We met to talk about what our congregation could do to help the local LGBTQ students. <br /><br />He told me that Pridelines, a non-profit that had supported LGBTQ students, had no money and was essentially defunct. And Safe Schools, which had provided resources in schools for LGBTQ youth was now banned from all the schools in Miami/Dade. We started talking about the possibility of creating drop-in centers – perhaps 5 around Miami/Dade—for LGBTQ students to just get together. He was very clear that he had little experience with organizing drop-in centers, but knew people in the local community who did have experience, including our own Jessica and Luigi. And so began a process of working out the details. This included going before the leadership of UU Miami to be sure we dotted our I’s and crossed our T’s as we moved forward with this project.<br /><br />Andie Arthur, who is a member of your Board, would you please come up and tell the congregation what the Board decided:<br />Today a letter will go out to the congregation about this project. You’ll also learn about another way that you can support the LGBTQ community, by participating in a research project being conducted by the University of Miami. You can make a difference by being a part of this research study regarding the impact of the “Parental Rights in Education” also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill on the youth, families, and teachers in Miami/Dade. And you can pass this information on to others to participate. <br /><br />I tell you all this because first of all, I’m proud to be part of a group of people who don’t just talk the talk. We are people who take action. As a small congregation, we cannot make a difference in all the social issues that are impacting our community, but we can and do make a difference in a couple, and I believe that helping the LGBTQ community can be one of the ways we can make a positive impact in Miami/Dade. I don’t know how many kids will come to the drop-in; I don’t know how Safe Schools will raise the money they need to support this program; I just know that this is one thing that this congregation can do to make a difference. <br /><br />I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the story of the child and the starfish. One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed boy picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean.<br />Approaching the boy he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?”<br /><br />“Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die,” the boy replied.<br />The man laughed to himself and said, “Do you realize there are miles of miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference. After listening politely, the boy bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the surf. Then, he smiled at the man and said, “I made a difference to that one.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The moral of the story is: Everyone can make a difference — even if that difference only affects one person. Even if this drop-in center helps just one kid, it helped that one kid, and that is significant. <br /><br />I know for me that making a difference in one person’s life is significant. In my last UU congregation I worked on a mentoring project for youth of color in Chicago called The Smile Project. I remember, in particular, working with one youth—Danny-- who said to us that he really wanted to become a police officer. <br /><br />The Social Justice Committee arranged for him to work at the Lisle Police Department and to be mentored by a Deputy Chief Wilke. When Danny started, the various police officers that worked with Danny observed that the he was bored, and didn’t ask any questions about the work of a police officer. Instead, he asked them to buy him lunch; he just didn’t really seem engaged in the mentoring. The Social Justice Committee, the UU’s running the project, met with Danny, his mother, Sandra, and Deputy Chief Wilke. Deputy Chief Wilke gave Danny feedback on his behavior. He was surprised to hear this feedback. And his mother was surprised he was asking for the officers to buy him lunch; she had provided him a sack lunch each day he went to the station. We had a long talk with the youth about his behavior and what he really wanted for his future. He really wanted to be a police officer, he said. So we developed a plan to help him move forward. We gave him a notebook to write down questions about the work he observed at the station. We suggested to him that he go to each officer he had interacted with to acknowledge his behavior and apologize if needed. And we asked him to report back to the committee more regularly. His behavior turned around immediately and as he became more engaged, the officers at the station became more engaged, too. Our little mentoring village made a difference for that one starfish. And I will remember that for the rest of my life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Today, LGBTQ youth are the starfish that we have an opportunity help and support. And this drop-in project is one way we can affirm that we are indeed a Welcoming Congregation. <br /><br />We already have the designation; let’s lean into it a little more. We have LGBTQ services, weddings, memorial service. We are getting better at acknowledging Observance days, and members of this congregation plan to participate in Miami Beach Pride in 2024. Many of our youth have attended OWL, Our Whole Life Sexuality classes which include information about the LGBTQ community. And we are hosting a panel discussion on four Transgendered persons’ views on faith and religion October 8th after the service. Offering our resources, space, for this drop-in center, the first of its kind in Miami/Dade since the Don’t Say Gay laws went into effect, embodies our re-commitment to being a Welcoming Congregation. <br /><br />If being a Welcoming Congregation is to be meaningful to UU Miami, we will always need to affirm the worth and dignity of all LGBTQ persons within our community and beyond these walls, with services, observances, education, and projects. In all that we do as a faith community. <br /><br />There is a monthly Zoom hosted by the UUA to educate congregations on how to be more effective Welcoming Congregations. Perhaps some of us can attend those meetings. We have talked about putting our pronouns on our nametags, perhaps some of us can take that on as a project. We have talked about making sure that anyone who comes on our campus sees that we have gender-inclusive bathrooms, respecting that each person knows which bathroom is right for them. Perhaps some of us can take on that as a project. How else might we do to express that members of the LGBTQ community feel welcomed here at UU Miami? <br /><br />We might not get to all of these projects, but if we keep in the front of our minds that we are a Welcoming Congregation, I’ll bet you’ll find we can do most of them. <br /><br />I am proud that this congregation, many years ago, went through a process of education and action to earn the designation as a Welcoming Congregation. And I am proud that this congregation has done many things over the years to affirm that designation. Now it is up to us to continue affirming that designation, in ways that are relevant to what’s going on in our community today. Being a Welcoming Congregation is not a static description, but a process of engagement and education that will not end so long as UU Miami exists. Inclusivity is not ‘How do we make you a part of what we are?’ but ‘How do we become more of what you are?’” How will you continue to become more of what our LGBTQ siblings are?<br /><br /></span><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-74222929663618088282024-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:002024-01-05T14:42:02.054-08:00Let's Welcome One Another by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 9/10/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlmj9MBXHzMmDO969fWmOzgtOffngslrIMwzEhCLxxyLpfUeKdR026xtIPKnuxiBUIE4dkFQ5uBVrZFsWMr4OCH7Dl6rU8zQ75-6TIippQKAjVn-VjX-cL-m6Qar1U7IzNGBNYr7MfIE7nrrO_a5xBw2GntqPiCJ1ku6elveaXCoIyfap_OlfR5JVX1JY/s1342/welcome%20one%20another.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1342" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlmj9MBXHzMmDO969fWmOzgtOffngslrIMwzEhCLxxyLpfUeKdR026xtIPKnuxiBUIE4dkFQ5uBVrZFsWMr4OCH7Dl6rU8zQ75-6TIippQKAjVn-VjX-cL-m6Qar1U7IzNGBNYr7MfIE7nrrO_a5xBw2GntqPiCJ1ku6elveaXCoIyfap_OlfR5JVX1JY/w400-h225/welcome%20one%20another.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> <span style="font-size: large;">What was it like giving a welcoming blessing to someone in this congregation? How did it feel? Would a couple people share?<br /><br /> What was it like receiving a welcoming blessing from someone in this congregation during the meditation? How did it feel? Would a couple people share?<br /><br />After such a giving and receiving, perhaps these words from UU Reverend Angela Herrera touch you in a different way: “Don’t leave your broken hearts at the door…don’t leave your anger behind…Bring them with you, and your joy…” Don’t we all want to be radically accepted for who we are, just as we are? As I say this, some questions come to mind. Can we, UU Miami, consistently be a place of such acceptance, of such welcoming, of such blessing to those gathered here in community and to any who join us? I believe we can, for I have seen instances of it. But I ask you to consider what does radical acceptance and welcoming look like here, right here at UU Miami, to you? And what can each of us do to promote radical welcoming to each other and to anyone who enters our doors? <br /><br />And so, I wonder, have you been that person who entered these doors when your heart was broken, or when you were filled with anger, what did someone do to help you with your feelings? You don’t have to answer any of those questions out loud, but I do hope you allow them to stir within you, consider them, perhaps even talk about them with each other after the service. Our UU Principles—which for those of you who are new are printed in the front of our hymnals and on cards you can get at the welcome table—are filled with words like justice, equity, peace, compassion, and affirming the interdependent web of all existence, but I ask you, how are each of us and us collectively embodying these words. Giving them life. I know many of you and I have seen ways that they are embodied by you. I believe that part of embodying is also sharing how we live these values in our lives. So that when the going gets tough, when push comes to shove, how do we lean into these values, individually and collectively? Or do we just put them into our back pockets until we feel better? Do we remember that we are not alone in living these values, that we can also lean on each other, that the members of this community bless each other even in tough times?<br />I have often said that we are a values-based religious community. And this congregation has affirmed that all who come through our doors are welcome here. But is there a sort of unspoken expectation that people who decide to stay with us have to affirm the values we hold? Do they have to affirm all the values to receive our acceptance or blessing? Or do they just have to accept the important ones? And which ones are the important ones? <br />I know I am asking you a lot of questions this morning, but do you think Unitarian Universalism is a religion? Or is it a group of like-minded people who like to talk about religion? I believe it is a religion. <br /><br />A couple week ago, I led a class discussing what is a religion as we prepared for the World’s Religions Classes. Which, by the way, is starting after lunch today with Muslim Imam Dr. Abdul Hamid Samra. <br /><br />We explored many definitions of religion and here is what we came up with. A religion provides a community to explore and explain mystical and/or awe-inspiring experiences—both those that conventionally defy explanation and those that a person cannot find words to express. This community has social cohesion and provides a sense of safety in world that is constantly changing, where the world is not always safe, a world where people are often hurt, abused, oppressed. A religion, and thus the religious community, hold onto things that they collectively believe, things that are of worth to the community. Religions, and thus the religious community, are places where people explore existential questions like life’s meaning, purpose, and particularly questions about the meaning of death. Religions have myths and stories that hold some explanation regarding nature, relationships, creation and how to live in this world. Religions define/find/recognize what is sacred/holy. Religions address questions of sex/sexuality/gender. And religions and religious communities have a sense of who is “in” the religion or community and who is “out” or not art of the religion or community. I think that many of us have answers to at least some of these questions about Unitarian Universalism. I wonder how do we, here at UU Miami, decide who is “in” and who is “out”? I think we do this, too. I believe we would have great difficulty accepting a “Proud Boy” or a “Mothers for Liberty” member here. Or at the very least, I believe they won’t feel welcomed. How far does our sense of radical welcoming and acceptance extent? <br /><br />Also, the class on What is Religion, I said that it is easy to find fault in other religious traditions, and even “otherize” other faiths because of certain beliefs, rituals, books they hold sacred. Nasiruddin in our story was “otherized” because of how he looked, dirty, sweaty, in farm clothes. Remember what he said: "when I first came to this feast in my old farming clothes, I was not welcome. No one would speak with me. No one would even look at me. But when I changed into this coat, suddenly I was greeted warmly. So I realized it was not me that was welcome at this party, but my clothing. And so I am feeding my coat." I believe many of us are aware of what means to be religiously “otherized”. For instance, have you ever been around someone marginalized, minimized, stigmatized or made fun of a certain practice or belief of a certain faith tradition? Saying it was stupid, not important, not worthy of study. How do you think someone who holds a belief that is being put down in one way or another feels when that happens? For instance, in the Christian tradition, during Holy Week—that’s the week before Easter Sunday—there is Maundy Thursday, where participants wash each other’s feet. No matter what you might think about the service, it is deeply meaningful to many people. How do you think they would feel if it were ridiculed? Ha Ha look at them washing stinky feet, how silly. We as Unitarian Universalist are not immune to this kind of minimization and joking: <br />The many answers to ...<br />Q: What is a Unitarian Universalist?<br />A: An atheist with children.<br />A: Someone who approaches every question with an open mouth.<br />A: Someone whose only sacred artifact is the coffee pot.<br /><br />And while we may not always understand another faith’s tradition, history, ritual, or beliefs, we have to respect them and I believe, at least for myself, acknowledge there is always something I can learn from other faiths, something that will enrich my own faith. Respecting and learning about another’s faith is also what it means to be radically accepting and welcoming. And it’s how we can embody spiritual hospitality. <br /><br />I am always learning something new about other religious traditions. This week in preparation for Dr. Samra’s presentation, I came across an article “The Power and Beauty of Hospitality” by Paola Bernardini, PhD who teaches Christian-Muslim Encounter in the Center for Global Perspectives of Holy Cross College at Notre Dame (from the Religica Theolab in the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement (CEIC)). <br /><br />It starts: “While many of us are all too familiar with the image of the Islamic terrorist, a few know that the Islamic tradition contains many spiritual treasures, the foremost of which being the call to hospitality. I have experienced this beautiful hospitality many times when visiting Dearborn (Michigan), home of the largest Arab American community in the US, with my college students. We are always greeted with plenty of refreshments, very much appreciated after a long, early morning bus drive. The community spends the whole Saturday morning with us, taking away from time with family and leisure, not expecting anything in return. As if that were not sufficient, they also send us back with baklavas’ trays so big that they could feed a whole legion…Similar experiences are reported by many of those who travel in the Islamic world. What is striking about these stories is that the acts of hospitality are not directed only to friends or family. Rather they are directed to the foreigner, and the religious other…In the Islamic tradition, the call to hospitality is rooted in the Qur’an and in the life of his Prophet. A famous Sura of the Qur’an (51: 24-27), paralleling Genesis (18: 1-8), recalls the story of how Abraham treated his visitors with utmost reverence, serving them at once a fat calf, because they were strangers. Another Islamic tale tells of the time when Abraham was reproached by the angel Gabriel for having turned away a guest who had refused to bless the food prior to a meal…The professor of Quranic studies, Joseph Lumbard, explains that hospitality in Islam has nothing to do with ostentatious display. Rather it goes hand in hand with simplicity and humility. It is not the expensiveness of the food, or of the shared gifts, which characterize the many acts of hospitality which I and my students have often experienced in our Muslim hosts. The goal of hospitality in Islam is to make strangers feel at home in one’s household or place. This is expressed very well in an old Arab saying, ‘al-bayt (el bate) baytuka (bate uka),’ which literally means “the house is yours,” says Dana Sajdi, Professor of Islamic History.”<br /><br />We embody he same spirit here when we tell our guests they don’t have to pay for lunch on their first visit. Our spiritual house is theirs. I fortunately have had many friends of other faiths. When I was serving Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist in Cedar Rapids Iowa, I became close friends with members of the Mother Mosque, the oldest purpose-built mosque still standing in the United States, having been completed in 1934. I frequently felt at home in that Mosque and in other Mosques in Cedar Rapids, frequently eating family style with many of their members. <br /><br />Members of those Mosques knew that our congregation was working to feeding the homeless in town. During Ramadan, they brought over truckloads of frozen turkeys and chickens to help in our effort; they explained it was one of the four pillars of their tradition, Zakat, an obligation to donate a certain portion of their resources/wealth each year to charitable causes. As I learned more about their Islamic faith and about how they embodied their faith, I was enriched, and my own faith expanded. And I felt very much that I was part of their family and they were part of mine.<br /><br />How do we welcome the stranger who enters our doors? We give them a name tag. We ask them for their email address so we can send them our newsletter. Do we engage them in conversation? I think so, if the groups in the breezeway are any indication. Do we spend time getting to know them, about their spiritual journey? Do we explain to them how the service will go? Again, I think so; I know we’ve been distributing an order of service to people who want them. This is welcoming by the way. Here’s an important question: If they want to be left alone, do we honor that? For some people, it’s hard enough to just walk into a place for the first, perhaps even second or third time, much less have an extended conversation with a group of strangers. And that’s okay. That’s another way of being welcoming. What else can we do to make this place feel like a spiritual home? A home where visitors feel like they can belong; where they can be part of our family. Do we notice if they are metaphorically feeding their coat, like Nasruddin in our story, wondering if we can accept them as they truly are, not just how they appear to be on the outside? It can take a while for someone to believe it when we say “Don't leave your broken heart at the door… Don't leave your anger behind… Bring them with you, and your joy…” Do we have the congregational patience to give them enough space to feel safe?<br /><br />Welcome and hospitality may not be a formal pilar of our faith, but I believe it is a value that is foundational to our faith. Almost every Sunday we say: “Love is the spirit of this faith and service is its prayer.” Welcome and hospitality are expressions of our love and service. May we continue to broaden our understanding of what it means to be radically accepting and welcoming, and may we continue to embody the meaning of words “this spiritual home is ours and yours.” So may it be<br /></span><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-79984207738372280142024-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:002024-01-05T14:31:24.715-08:00Loving and Teaching Our Children by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 8/27/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8G2hxgbQysrUdCDNCNZLTaIZo0AWB9hhAQVICDsJzb7SLqDI7Z834ptJ76IwgvCsD_gJJyPpZyKcRNRUc9nVbyES9UZuSPsdFudvFj2R3gWM373hdU_g8PPeB6FqOCscdIREHT2YAlHE7sBfCulgKnQ-Wy-xmKqPT0Bzo1mCw6zofDrMd225jKTpwTYE/s279/how%20love%20teach%20children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="157" data-original-width="279" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8G2hxgbQysrUdCDNCNZLTaIZo0AWB9hhAQVICDsJzb7SLqDI7Z834ptJ76IwgvCsD_gJJyPpZyKcRNRUc9nVbyES9UZuSPsdFudvFj2R3gWM373hdU_g8PPeB6FqOCscdIREHT2YAlHE7sBfCulgKnQ-Wy-xmKqPT0Bzo1mCw6zofDrMd225jKTpwTYE/w400-h225/how%20love%20teach%20children.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Martha and I have two sons, Aaron and Jacob. Right now both of them have careers in the field of computer technology. Aaron is 35 and is engaged and living with his partner Sarah outside of Chicago. Jacob is 33 and is living in New York City. Both Aaron and Jacob are very happy with their lives. <br /><br />How did they get to the point of having stable and happy lives? I will be honest—some of it was pure luck. But, to some extent I believe it is because we accepted them as they were and loved them, even when they seemed to veer off the path of stability or when their educational process did not seem quite as linear as we would have liked or when they were unclear what their future might look like or when they took big risks in their careers. I have to say this was not easy. We have worried about Jacob when he insisted that his Kindergarten teacher told a story wrong and then told her so – he was always very independent minded—; when he had no friends except his brother until he was a Sophomore in High School; when he was diagnosed with type one diabetes in Junior High; and when he stopped going to college in Sophomore year—I mean just stopped going and didn’t tell anyone, not even the college. And we were worried about Aaron when he was diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school; he had hidden it so well for a few years because he could memorize what the teacher said and picked up contextual clues from the classroom. But it became obvious his 4-year-old brother could read his early primer and 6-year-old Aaron had no clue what any of the words on the page said.<br /><br />We accepted them unconditionally, and we told them we loved them—I never felt unconditionally accepted by my father and certainly don’t remember my father telling me he loved me, at least until he was in his sixties. That’s not to say I was a perfect parent. I think we would all agree there is no such thing. When Jacob started having behavior problems in school, I sent him to a psychologist. Now what I told all of my patients to do if their children had behavioral problems was to first get them a physical to determine any biological issues that might be causing the behavioral problem, but I didn’t do that as a parent. It was fortunate that I realized my mistake soon after he started seeing a psychologist. So, Martha took him to his pediatrician who immediately send them to Texas Children’s Hospital because of his high blood sugar. And after his blood sugar was regulated, there were no more behavioral problems. Those of you who have children may have some such stories as well.<br /><br />We accepted them unconditionally and we told them we loved them. We supported them in their choices, even when we didn’t quite understand them. When Jacob was in elementary school, he decided to grow his hair down to the middle of his back—my mother hated this so much that she offered Jacob a $100 to get his hair cut. He refused to cut his hair and we supported his choice. More recently my mother has been pressuring Aaron to get engaged and married and she gave him her old engagement ring to hurry him up. What did we tell him? All We told him we support whatever choices he and his partner made about their relationship and their future. And though he did eventually get engaged, we are not pressuring him to get married. Its their life and their choice and we love them both. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I am sorely tempted to try to get them to tell me why they make the decisions that they do, but I also understand that they do not need to justify or even explain their choices to me. Martha and I are just the bows from which our children, as living arrows, were sent forth from. All any of us can do is launch them; it’s up to them to fly.<br /><br /> Kahil Gibran wrote:<br />Your children are not your children. <br />They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself. <br />They come through you but not from you, <br />and though they are with you yet they belong not to you. <br />You may give them your love but not your thoughts, <br />for they have their own thoughts. <br />You may house their bodies but not their souls, <br />for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, <br />which you cannot visit, <br />not even in your dreams. <br />You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. <br />For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. <br />You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are <br />sent forth. <br />The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and <br />bends you with might that the arrows may go swift and far. <br />Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness. <br /><br />Martha and I didn’t bend our archer’s hand with gladness until we were in our very late twenties, like almost thirty. We were not brought up in the most functional, loving or happy homes, with a parent who had alcoholism in both our homes. We were unsure if we could be effective parents. Perhaps some of you might have wondered the same thing before having children. But I will tell you, once we did have Aaron and Jacob, I believe we did pretty well, probably better than we thought we could. We earned how to set healthy limits on our children and how to support our children’s learning. We didn’t try to make them like us. We just tried to accept them as they were and tell them we loved them. And they weren’t like us. I mean when Jacob decided to be dancing pants for one Halloween and the color black for another, I did wonder whose kid this was. And Aaron didn’t want to get a driver’s license the moment he turned 15, and barely wanted it at 16—I was driving when I was 14. I wonder if those of you with children feel like your children aren’t very much like you, at least in certain ways.<br /><br />As you heard in our children’s dedication service, one of the things we are called to do for the children as a community is to “offer them our care and concern, our love and our wholehearted assistance.” That makes perfect sense. But there is a lot to unpack in that short little phrase. Yes, we offer care, concern, love and assistance, but in so doing “We realize that with some apprehension that the quality of our own lives will determine how well this child’s potential will be realized in full bloom and flower.” The quality of our lives. Children will listen. They’ll watch what we do, how we live our values and beliefs, and how we make a positive difference in the world. All the things we say we do as Unitarian Universalists. I remember when Aaron was born, I mean the moment he was born, because I was in the operating room, I realized that I was going to be one of his role models, and as a parent, I would be central to how he would see the world. At that moment I made the decision that I would need to take a closer look at those UU values and Principles that I went around telling people about. And I needed to walk my talk. Probably not perfectly, but with more awareness and consistency. <br />And here is probably the hardest thing we as a congregation must do, and as a parent I realized I also had to do. “In being part of these children’s lives, we must realize that we cannot remove all the thorns from their lives. There will be some pain in these children’s lives that we cannot protect them from, but through the pain we will be with them.” As their parent, I could not take away Jacob’s diabetes or Aaron’s dyslexia. And here with the children under our communal care, we cannot take away the prejudice they may experience or the bullying or whatever issues they face, but we can communicate to them that they are not alone. And that they are accepted just as they are. We need to not only say to them that they are loved, we need to show them as well. <br /><br />One final thing I want to share with you. This was written by our Unitarian Universalist forebear, William Ellery Channing: "The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own;<br />Not to make them see with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own; <br />Not to give them a definite amount of knowledge, but to inspire a fervent love of truth;<br />Not to form an outward regularity, but to touch inward springs;<br />Not to bind them by ineradicable prejudices to our particular sect or peculiar notions,<br />But to prepare them for impartial, conscientious judging of whatever subjects may be offered to their decision;<br />Not to burden the memory, but to quicken and strengthen the power of thought;<br />Not to impose religion upon them in the form of arbitrary rules, but to awaken the conscience, the moral discernment.<br />In a word, the great end is to awaken the soul… to excite and cherish spiritual life." <br /><br />I often tell parents who ask about bringing their children to UU Miami that it can be challenging for them and their children because we do not tell our children what to believe or how to think or how to live in the world. We teach them how to ask questions about themselves, about others, about their faith, beliefs and about the world, we seek to awaken their conscience and their soul, to excite and hopefully help them cherish their spiritual and ethical life. More often than not, there are no easy answers for our children. And we also teach them that they are not alone in this quest. They have a community, a village if you will, that will be with them. So, my friends, here are some tips for acknowledging and affirming how we will show that that they belong in this community. First and foremost we must be willing to listen to them. At different stages of their life, they will come in this sanctuary and tell us what they believe, what they think, how they view the world, the universe, Unitarian Universalism. And we will need to accept them just as they are and tell them we love them. And when they ask us questions about our beliefs and faith, about our ethics and morals, we must be honest and authentic and age appropriate with them. By doing so we, in effect, are holding a safe space for them to become who they will become, to find out what they believe, and to experiment here in this safe space with the morals and ethics that will carry them through a lifetime. <br /><br />I know this can feel like a huge responsibility, but I for one accept it, just as I accepted it when Martha and I chose to have children. The children in this congregation are our children, part of our tribe, our village. If this congregation and Unitarian Universalism is to exist, grow, and thrive now and in the future, we must affirm regularly in our minds and hearts what was said in our child dedication this morning. It’s not just one and done. Our commitment to our children must inform how we interact with the them, how we are in community with one another, and how we live our values in the world. And so I ask you: “Will you be welcoming, loving, and accepting of these and future children into our congregation; will you walk with them when they are in pain; will you model what it is to be a Unitarian Universalist; and will you pledge to their family, your care and concern, your love and your wholehearted assistance?” What do you answer? (congregation: We Will)<br /></span><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-74242188716786109182024-01-05T14:24:00.000-08:002024-01-05T14:24:12.866-08:00Living Life with Ordinary Delight by Reverend Tom Capo preahed on 8/13/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FGeyEzICMZ7hggYgZ4Sx7WwmDwaULJT4qxQiJPngvA4AsosN5m0fjAps0yTLP04rjpefqOnLjsnUPK6VUt5c6XClNJ_NGwMkGzKYGE_HMOSZn9l-Q34iJo-Hs0hWreOMc7effKlKzNtlvmisJ_ailC0TDDUNNbRXhw1QC_MAw3mxtvEqiqN2FL7_ixS3/s508/delight%20sermon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="508" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FGeyEzICMZ7hggYgZ4Sx7WwmDwaULJT4qxQiJPngvA4AsosN5m0fjAps0yTLP04rjpefqOnLjsnUPK6VUt5c6XClNJ_NGwMkGzKYGE_HMOSZn9l-Q34iJo-Hs0hWreOMc7effKlKzNtlvmisJ_ailC0TDDUNNbRXhw1QC_MAw3mxtvEqiqN2FL7_ixS3/w400-h225/delight%20sermon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Living life with ordinary delight. What does that mean to you? Is it what Carly sang “Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.” What are the ordinary, simple gifts of your life that make it worth living, that make it delightful? Perhaps some simple gifts or delights might be the beauty of a butterfly, or of a smile on a person’s face, or getting a task accomplished—no matter how small--, or getting a hug. How often do you notice, affirm and are grateful for such simple gifts or delights? Do these ordinary delights impact your day, your emotions, your attitude? Should they? Do you want them to?<br /> <br />Last week I ended the sermon with this quote from writer, activist and facilitator Adrienne Maree Brown: “put your attention on suffering – which is constant and everywhere – and it is all you will see. Joy will come, and laughter, but you will find it brief, possibly a distraction. Put your attention on joy [and delight], being connected and feeling whole, and you will find [them] everywhere. Your heart will still break. You will know grief, but you will find it a reasonable cost for the random abundance of miracles, and the soft wild rhythms of love.” I have spent much of this week unpacking that quote in my head and heart. <br /><br />How do you feel as you move through your life; do you primarily feel fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, disgust, delight or joy? There isn’t a Disney image for anxiety or delight. Perhaps you do not have a primary feeling; you just go with the emotional flow. How about this: what emotions seem to rise up most often as you go from one experience to another? You may not be keeping track; you might not even notice what emotions rise up most frequently. I offer these questions because these are where I began as I thought about living a life with ordinary delight. <br /><br />When I became a Unitarian Universalist minister, which will be 20 years ago this October, I started asking myself more questions about my own feelings, reactions, attitudes. I can tell you for many years before I began my ministry I was a pessimistic person and I was quite insecure, at least in some areas of my life. For instance, I was pessimistic about finances and financial stability, despite always having enough to pay our bills. We raised our children, have owned houses, and we’ve never wondered where our next meal was coming from. We’ve been able to go out to festivals, movies, and restaurants. Now granted, sometimes our meals were a little plain, many of the festivals were free, the movies were early-bird matinee specials, and the restaurants were infrequent and almost always with a coupon, but we always managed, despite my insecurities about finances. And I was insecure in both of my vocations— psychotherapy and ministry—despite being sought after for my expertise and providing consultation to Universities, NASA, industry, and hospitals as a psychotherapist. And for a number of years, I was insecure in my ministry despite providing consultation services to various congregations, professional groups, and non-profits, and serving a number of congregations, serving on a UUA district board, and being president or on the Board of various interfaith organizations. Many of you might recognize this as the imposter syndrome, feeling that you are not really competent, capable, knowledgeable or educated enough to do whatever you are doing. <br /><br />I have to agree with Adrienne Maree Brown, it is easier to focus on sadness or anger or resentment or guilt or pessimism or insecurity than on the gifts and delights of ordinary life. These gifts seem like anomalies, not important enough to register, certainly not important enough to be given more than a passing thought, not so important that they might change an attitude, a feeling, or the way we live in and face the world.<br /><br />I have to say I am fortunate to have Martha, my amazing wife, in my life. She often reminds me of the abundant gifts in my life and our lives. I can’t tell you how many times she has pointed out the gifts we have, so much more than other people in this world, and of the many accomplishments I have achieved and the people I have helped. She reminds me very much of the story of the man and his son. I wish you enough. Martha reminds me that I am enough, I have enough, we are enough, we have enough in fact we have much more than enough. What might change for you if you started everyday by looking yourself in the eyes in a mirror and saying aloud “I wish you enough”? What might change for someone else if you were to tell them “I wish you enough”?<br />I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.<br />I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.<br />I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.<br />I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.<br />I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.<br />I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.<br />I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.<br />I wish you enough.<br />I may not ever be the best at anything, but who I am is enough to accomplish a great deal and help many people. I am enough and I have enough, more than what I need, really so much more than what I need. And I wish each of you individually as a congregation, enough.<br /><br />Over the years, with Martha’s many reminders, I have internally begun reflecting on what I truly want, need, desire, and what I actually want to feel, and what attitudes I want to carry through life. And with her support and my internal reflections, my attitudes and reactions have mediated and I notice the gifts of life more frequently and am grateful for them. The stain of pessimism and insecurity has almost completely been washed away from my heart. But this change has been a decades-long process and the process continues to this day.<br /><br />A perfect example of this process is when I am in an argument. As you probably know we are more vulnerable to old insecurities and negative attitudes when we are feeling powerful emotions. This can happen about silverware in the dishwasher or really any argument when my emotions become intense. It becomes so easy to react, to let my emotions control me or cause me to revert back to pessimism or insecurity. <br /><br />In the midst of such a conflict, where once I used to just ride those emotions to wherever they took me, I now ask myself questions and sometimes ask others for a reality check. Do I really want to hurt the person I am in conflict with? Do I want to resolve this conflict in the spirit of love and collaboration? Do I want to hold onto this anger because it feels justified or do I want to let it go because I want to return to love and connection with this person? When conversations start veering toward arguments, it is not uncommon to ask myself, what do I ultimately want in this relationship—distance, connection, love, peace, power, control. I cannot tell you that I always respond in the most effective manner, but being reflective, questioning, wondering in the moment, at least for me, has resulted in more positive outcomes, with more love, more connection, and somewhat surprisingly, more mindfulness of the delightful things in life. <br /><br /> Let me share this passage I found recently by an author of several books on happiness, Doe Zamamata:<br />Begin each day with optimism <br />and end each day with forgiveness. <br />Happiness in life begins <br />and ends within your heart. <br /><br />The part about forgiveness really resonates with me. I know that holding onto resentment only hurts me. I have heard many times that holding onto a resentment is like taking poison and hoping the person you resent dies. I worked through the resentment I held toward my alcoholic father, which took years, and I continue to end each day with forgiveness for those whom I hold resentment toward. I can feel an eases in my emotionalism and an increase in the spiritual space inside me when I do this. Space for happiness, joy, and delight, space for optimism, for peace, for security. When we clear out space within ourselves, we make more room for the ordinary delights that are constantly around us. When we allow the problems of the world to fill all the space inside us, then there’s no place to pocket the wonderful, awe inspiring, loving, beautiful gifts in our lives. Again, this is not to say that we ignore the issues in the world, but we don’t give them the primacy to define who we are, how we feel, what is most important in our lives.<br /><br /> I want to leave you with this invitation as you make space inside yourself for the many delights that this world has to offer you. This Invitation was written by poet Mary Oliver. <br />Oh do you have time<br />to linger<br />for just a little while<br />out of your busy<br />and very important day<br />for the goldfinches<br />that have gathered<br />in a field of thistles<br />for a musical battle,<br />to see who can sing<br />the highest note,<br />or the lowest,<br />or the most expressive of mirth,<br />or the most tender?<br />Their strong, blunt beaks<br />drink the air<br />as they strive<br />melodiously<br />not for your sake<br />and not for mine<br />and not for the sake of winning<br />but for sheer delight and gratitude –<br />believe us, they say,<br />it is a serious thing<br />just to be alive<br />on this fresh morning<br />in the broken world.<br />I beg of you,<br />do not walk by<br />without pausing<br />to attend to this<br />rather ridiculous performance.<br />It could mean something.<br />It could mean everything.<br />It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:<br />You must change your life.<br /></span><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-40701299305836763042024-01-05T14:16:00.000-08:002024-01-05T14:16:28.633-08:00A Delightful Faith by Reverend Tom Capo preached on August 6, 2023<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZI1Z-DeWvUrhqZzt46zJsYDtq_Ev0_aIGXuArRrrSI9hsM9uAUy_zDu2zfH7rdODORMfDZTxe1ATIQ7MN7KdmNHN3LgJVAzkzQ4gvo5YOMyA-QgUJwpD6Nw2Urc0SHelpRVbdfl8j20GEZa4otnfrhthxuKWusPjZEDCELtAt6AABiQBQv1PfEgtowOI8/s293/delightful%20faith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="293" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZI1Z-DeWvUrhqZzt46zJsYDtq_Ev0_aIGXuArRrrSI9hsM9uAUy_zDu2zfH7rdODORMfDZTxe1ATIQ7MN7KdmNHN3LgJVAzkzQ4gvo5YOMyA-QgUJwpD6Nw2Urc0SHelpRVbdfl8j20GEZa4otnfrhthxuKWusPjZEDCELtAt6AABiQBQv1PfEgtowOI8/w400-h225/delightful%20faith.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I want to start today talking to those people who have never been to a Unitarian Universalist Congregation or who have attended a few times, but are still unsure what we are all about. I do this because it is easy for me or anyone preaching from this pulpit to preach only to the members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami – but there may be some people who don’t know what short-hand terms like UU or RE mean; who don’t know the history of Unitarianism or Universalism or Unitarian Universalism; who don’t know what UUs, Unitarian Universalists, believe. <br /><br />And so, when I say something like “Unitarian Universalism is where you go to get your answers questioned” they might feel confused, like “questions about what, exactly?” Here we believe that each person takes responsibility for their own personal spiritual journey. We also believe that this community is also on a shared spiritual journey. My role as a minister is not to tell you what to believe, but to encourage you to look within and to have meaningful conversations with each other as you explore truth, purpose, meaning, as you consider how to be your best self, and as you determine how to make a positive difference in the world. <br /><br />For those of you who have been here a while, how would you answer this query: You May Be A Unitarian Universalist If…<br /> Here are some other answers I have heard over the years in my ministry:<br />You may be a Unitarian Universalist if:<br /> Blowing bubbles or tossing around a beach ball or making a collage or walking out among the trees to connect with nature has ever been a Sunday service or part of a Sunday service;<br /> on Hallowe'en or Winter Solstice you ever heard someone talk about what they’re wearing in terms of their Pagan belief system;<br /> you have heard civil conversations about the gender or genders of god or about whether there are one, many or no deities at all;<br />you have heard "I don’t know" and considered it a valid theological/spiritual viewpoint<br />you think a Holy day of Obligation is when it’s your turn to bring food for the after-service lunch.<br /><br />If you have any questions about the meaning of these statements get with me or some of our members after the service and we would be happy to explain. <br /><br />I am being a little playful with you this morning because I delight in being a Unitarian Universalist. When I say delight, what does that word mean to you? Some of you might think that delight is the same as joy or happiness. Some might think delight is about pleasure or satisfaction. Or that delight is a happy surprise. <br /><br />(Blow some bubbles, then hand out a few bottles of soap for others to create bubbles)<br /><br />I think delight is embodied joy or pleasure. An elevation of spirit that is felt and expressed physically—perhaps a smile, or a movement, or laugh, or a sparkle in one’s eyes—through your whole self. <br /> <br />(Toss out a plastic beach ball)<br />I’ve been told that delight describes a spiritual practice. Perhaps that is what you are doing right now, practicing delight. <br />Sri Chinmoy is an Indian spiritual leader who taught meditation in the United States. He wrote: “Joy and happiness are something ordinary in comparison to delight. Joy is limited, happiness is limited. We can experience them even in our ordinary unaspiring life. But delight we experience only when we lead an aspiring life. Only in the life of aspiration can we get delight..” He goes on to suggest that “Delight comes from the soul's region.” Take a moment to consider your response this idea. In many faith communities you might hear an “Amen” when you hear something you resonate with. In this faith community, it more likely that you will hear “Hmmm” in thoughtful and soulful consideration from those around you. Sometimes you might hear some finger-snapping, too.<br /><br />Thinking of delight from a soulful or spiritual perspective brings me to the story of the monk, the tigers, the mouse, and the strawberry. When you heard this story, what meaning did you make from it? Maybe you thought it had no meaning or perhaps that the choice the monk makes to eat the strawberry is ridiculous. I have heard it said that the tiger above and the tiger below represent one’s past and the future—the past, guilts and resentments that still stalk you and worries and fears about the future that you are harboring. And you are here in the present, hanging by a vine with a mouse eating away at it. Do you ever feel that way? How do you respond when you feel that way? Do you look for another vine? Do you prepare for the fall to the tiger below or prepare for fight/flight with the tiger above? Or do you reach for the rich, juicy strawberry that is right before you in this moment and delight in it? Zen Buddhism might suggest that this crazy notion of staying in the present, looking for the delightful experience in the here and now is perhaps the most spiritually healthy choice. But surrounded by urgencies, how often do we make that choice? Do you practice mindfulness, staying in the present, feeling, embodying the many delights that the present offers? Or are these too many pressing concerns for you to feel like you have the luxury of doing that?<br /><br />Why do you come to this congregation, to this sanctuary on Sunday morning? Are you here because of the past or the future, what stalks or what awaits you? Welcome friend; we’re here to help ground and support you. Or are you here for what delights you might experience in the present? Welcome, friend; we’re here to share in the joys of what you discover. Is being in this place with these people at this moment about healing, about friendship, about acceptance, about affirming certain values or Principles? Welcome friend; you’ve found a home here. Is it about being in a community where “we come to be assured that [siblings] surround us, to restore their images on our eyes.” Where “we enlarge our voices in common speaking and singing.” Where “it is good to be with one another” (Kenneth Patton). Welcome friend; it is good to be with you. Here we thinking about the value of past or future moments in this place. Are we think about the time, treasure and talent needed to keep this place vital and thriving, not only for us but for anyone today, tomorrow and far into the future. Here we seek actionable responses to the racism, homophobia, transphobia, and all the other prejudices, biases, and hatreds that are so prominent in the world around us. I ask you to close your eyes for a moment. Take a deep breath in and along slow breath out. (pause) <br />Where is your strawberry, that moment of delight? What does it look like? (pause)<br />Open your eyes.<br /><br />People come here not to have their bucket emptied, but to have their bucket filled. To fill their heart and soul’s bucket up with peace, with love, with joy, with whatever strawberries they need to be able to cope with a world that is not always kind or peaceful, or loving, or joyful. People come here for hope and healing; people come here to look more deeply within themselves as they search for truth, meaning and purpose strawberry that is offered on the vine before them. And people come here, even though they might not always know it, for mindful, embodied delight.<br /><br />So, my friends, let us take this time, this space, on Sunday mornings together to look for the delight that is already right there in front of you, even when you feel like there are tigers above, tigers below, and a mouse eating away at the vine you are holding on for your life. In this place, with this community, there will always be strawberries awaiting right in front of you, if allow yourself to be in the moment. And I invite you to express gratitude for the strawberries, to help you remember that they exist, to seal them on your heart, as you go forth to do the work of the world. As Adrienne Maree Brown, writer, activist and facilitator, wrote: “put your attention on suffering – which is constant and everywhere – and it is all you will see. Joy will come, and laughter, but you will find it brief, possibly a distraction. Put your attention on joy [and delight], being connected and feeling whole, and you will find it everywhere. Your heart will still break. You will know grief, but you will find it a reasonable cost for the random abundance of miracles, and the soft wild rhythms of love.” May it be so.<br /></span><br /></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-85695027858085842332023-07-08T12:24:00.001-07:002023-07-08T12:24:51.213-07:00Seeing the World through a Creative Lens by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 5/21/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigf_ZrhWKSMU6cacbkfwO06nYe09jp1ak0uHoGKalt5hDeHv6E7Q2I-dVtoqDPCyV15lJwjEulq86EJXzqw8B0Dpt8slFccciNOnw_RyRHym2P-7DVSbl0vj4PIrwPsPmJEfAtuldzkhwnBTiPrjp1boxLlh2zXEyhw2gX6rNGaSB9pmiscwkUrM_3S5QG/s1280/creative%20lens%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigf_ZrhWKSMU6cacbkfwO06nYe09jp1ak0uHoGKalt5hDeHv6E7Q2I-dVtoqDPCyV15lJwjEulq86EJXzqw8B0Dpt8slFccciNOnw_RyRHym2P-7DVSbl0vj4PIrwPsPmJEfAtuldzkhwnBTiPrjp1boxLlh2zXEyhw2gX6rNGaSB9pmiscwkUrM_3S5QG/w640-h360/creative%20lens%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Reading<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Some time ago, somewhere, I am not sure
where exactly, there lived an old woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She served as the Wisewoman for a small village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day a friend of hers, a writer from a
far-a-way Western country, came for a visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each time the friend visited, the Village Wisewoman would teach him a
new way of looking at the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Village Wisewoman told her friend, “Most of western society thinks that we
should believe only what we see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, in reality the mind works the other way around, meaning we see
only what we believe.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The writer asked,
“But how can this be?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Village
Wisewoman said “I will show you shortly.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Soon two villagers came to the Village Wisewoman at different times, to
ask her for guidance and information about the location of horses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told each villager that the horses were
in a valley near the village, but told one of them that the herd had eight
horses, and the other that it had twenty-four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Village Wisewoman was talking about the same herd at the same
valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the day the
villagers returned with what they had captured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first villager, since he was told there were only eight horses,
believed it to be true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, why
would the Village Wisewoman lie?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
expected to find eight horses, so when he found eight, he stopped looking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second villager believed that there were
twenty-four horses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, why would
the Village Wisewoman lie?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She expected
to find twenty-four horses, and kept looking until she found twenty-four
horses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Village Wisewoman’s friend
was puzzled with the result, and asked her to elaborate on what seemed to be a
manipulative trick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She smiled and said,
“We can see only what we think about and imagine. What our mind believes as
possible and true, it tends to find and experience in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in reality and in nature, there is
an abundance of possibilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we
believe and recognize there is an abundance of possibilities then we can experience
the world as offering an abundance of opportunities.” (the wisdom and magical
power of stories by pejman aghasi)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Sermon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">When you think about
seeing or experiencing the world through a creative lens, what pops into your
mind’s eye?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Perhaps art by Picasso or Dali or Warhol or
Purvis Young comes to mind?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Artists often
experience the world in ways that are fairly different from the ways those of
us who are not artists do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I ask you
to consider exploring the world through a creative lens, is your first response
“I can’t, because I’m not an artist”?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Have you put a box around what creativity
looks like and who gets to express it? What might keep you from embracing a
creative point of view?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What might
prevent you from living and moving through the world as someone who identifies
as a creative person?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that sound
daunting?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or liberating?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you’d be concerned that you couldn’t
function in reality if you viewed the world too differently from the other
“regular” people.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ve
got a secret to tell you—you’re probably already doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost all of us have put on a creative lens
at one time or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it’s a new
idea of how to cook a certain recipe or creatively place food on a plate so your
kids will eat it or a more effective way to repair a sink or toilet, or new way
to parent your child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creativity isn’t
always manifest on a canvas or with clay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Creativity often is manifested in the ways we chose to live and move and
have our being in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">American writer and
philosopher Robert Grudin in his book The Grace of Great Things: Creativity and
Innovation wrote: “We can no more ‘have’ ideas than ideas ‘have’ us, and indeed
the creative process might be simplified if we stopped searching for ideas and
simply made room for them to visit. If anything controls or dominates at the
moment of inspiration, it is not the mind but the idea, or rather, the suddenly
articulated power of our own inner energies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>New ideas capture and possess the mind that births them; they colonize
it and renew its laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The expansion of
any idea is thus also an expansion of the self.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grudin suggests that we have to be willing to
expand our receptivity to be ready and to make a place for new ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must be willing to be changed by the new
idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our perspective on whatever we are
doing--and perhaps in a broader sense than just the task at hand--may
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for many of us, change is
scary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">I am not a
carpenter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, I decided back in
1985 to build a barn-shaped shed in my backyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought all I needed was a hammer, some
nails and some wood and I am all set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
I went to Home Depot, told the salesperson that I wanted to build a shed and
pointed to the demo already built in front of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was happy to help me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave me five page of instructions of how
to build the shed and told me all the wood would arrive in my driveway in a
couple of days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought a circular saw,
some nails, and a wood-handled hammer as well, and I thought I was ready to
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a few days the wood was delivered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so I began, cutting and nailing according
to the diagrams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I broke 2
wooden-handled hammers in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And hammered an embarrassing number of nails sideways in the wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the structure didn’t look exactly like
what in the instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately,
the person living behind me was a carpenter—though we had never met or even
talked to each other before that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
must have felt very bemused as he watched me try to build that shed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally he couldn’t take it any more and came
over to tell me I had to start over and that I needed some different
tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">I looked at him as
if he were crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was he talking
about? Start over. New tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How hard
could building a shed be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean I was
working on my Master’s degree in psychology, shouldn’t I be able to build a
shed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing is I couldn’t see what
he was seeing—that the structure was not going to be stable if I didn’t start
over, that I would break more hammers if I kept using cheap wooden handled
hammers, and I needed a nail puller, a tool I had never heard of before, to
remove all the nails that were not straight into the wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, oh yeah, a leveler. What does this have
to do with creativity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to be
effective in building a shed, I had to see the world through the creative lens
of my neighbor the carpenter, not the lens that informed me that I was surely
capable of doing this task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to be
willing to expand my understanding of myself and my abilities to make room for
new ideas and I had to change my point of view about what I was doing in order
to complete the task—build a shed that was actually, you know, a shed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
believe all of us have had to go through some version of this process—in
school, at work, in relationships—we have had to put on a creative lens to see
something differently in order to be effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And sometimes putting on a creative lens actually takes effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to stop, consider the experience,
understand that we see the world through our personal experiences, our
prejudices, and through what we have been taught or told.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully through doing this we have learned
that our somewhat static personal lens on the world is often limited and not
always effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though it’s work
there is much to be gained from putting on a creative lens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Karen
Hering, the UU Minister who wrote the book Trusting Change believes we need to
keep our creativity fit to be more effective in all that we do, including
coping with change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She suggests that we
need to regularly allow our creativity “to stretch its legs, run about just for
fun or take off on a flight of fancy.” Allowing our creativity to play in the
world from time to time hones our ability to be more resilient to change; and
as we all know change happens regularly in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">One way to tap into
our creativity is the simple exercise we did during the meditation—look through
a kaleidoscope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we see the infinite
number of patterns moving before our eye we’re reminded that there is more than
one way to experience the world, to see a problem, to achieve a goal or
complete a task, or even how to create a piece of art, be it music or paint,
found objects or words on a page.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">We are going to try
another way to put on a different metaphorical creative lens today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many of you have heard of a silent
rave?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please take out your phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Open up YouTube and find a musician that you
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the video comes up, after the
commercials have passed, pause it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
you have the video cued up, raise your hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now lower the volume so that only you can hear it and push play and put
the phone up to your ear and dance either in your chair or on your feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That, my friends, is one way to exercise your
creativity. How did it feel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you
feel self-conscious?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be worth
asking yourself why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you feel
energized?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or did you feel like we should just get back
to the sermon?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s okay, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Daydreaming,
doodling, creative play—like pretending to be a cat or having a tea party with
your child—are other ways to exercise your creativity, which in turn,
strengthens your resilience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you
do regularly exercise your creativity, without expectation, without producing
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will find it easier to put
on your creative lens when you need to deal with a problem or project, or work
with someone who doesn’t share your point of view, or maybe even paint a
picture or create a collage—like we will be doing next week here in this
sanctuary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will create images of our
Unitarian Universalist Principles and values, as a group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our creations will be hung in this
sanctuary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way I told my mother,
who is a painter, about us doing this project next Sunday and she said it
wouldn’t work because everyone would want the image to be done their way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love my mother, but I think she might be
wrong about that, because I believe what we can collectively create something
that will be a reflection of UU Miami. It will be an exercise in collective
creativity; I think it will be amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
offer you one more way of putting on a creative lens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Create a small circle that you can see
through by loosely make a fist, crating a keyhole for your eye.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Before looking
through your keyhole, look around notice what you see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now look around through your keyhole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you notice within your reduced range
of vision when you do this? Maybe some details you hadn’t noticed before?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay now you can stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen Hering suggests that looking at
ourselves and our world as if through a keyhole—focusing in on one small area,
one idea, one feeling about a situation-- can give us “new eyes or new ways of
perceiving ourselves and our circumstances, freeing ourselves from old
tyrannies that have ruled too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
might be the tyranny of internalized messages about who we are and what we
cannot do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or it could be the
subjugation of our true identity and gifts by a world that continually turns us
away because of our gender, race, class, age, abilities, religion, orientation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be trauma, from our personal
experiences or those of our ancestors, binding us with fear in ways that keep
us living too small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any of these, and
other forms of confinement, can be broken open” by viewing ourselves through a
metaphorical keyhole.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Here is another way
to use your keyhole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Think of a
[specific] time when your heart or mind was opened to a greater understanding
of yourself, the world, other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Notice how your body and spirit feels as you linger with that experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine that feeling spreading throughout
your whole being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[As you breath slows]…
with each breath, store this feeling in your muscles, your blood, and your
bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When your breathe out, rid
yourself of any messages that deny the balm and wholeness of this feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say to yourself, I carry this wholeness with
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What new ways of being and seeing
might be possible as I open myself to greater wholeness?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Seeing the world
differently than we normally do day-to-day takes effort and intention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the gifts and benefits of a holding up a
creative lens to the world are innumerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hope you make a little time, maybe just a few minutes a day, to look
through a kaleidoscope, to dance to music only you can hear, to look at the
world through a self-created keyhole, or participate in some form of creative
play, to break yourself open, to experience the world differently, to learn new
ways of doing things, and new ways to embody the change you seek in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-20076719637219992562023-07-08T12:12:00.001-07:002023-07-08T12:12:44.989-07:00Celebrating Earth Day as a form of Resistance by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 4/23/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtRoLU8yssANuNwxgjrfe5X0ZedyETysPrEpVp9FO79rU6mgbVwlZdc12_Cw5Cy4J4RWNPSBFa4oRTV4lNnfO0xtlR_r2sF7k6WJ7hGIAduAPms3KqaBuuSnw0ADpAN1756G2mI3XmpGUYFU8SkEfdXYiNQUy5BVprKFRLrFx-fipnP53D8Dt5HkCscyh/s800/earth%20day.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtRoLU8yssANuNwxgjrfe5X0ZedyETysPrEpVp9FO79rU6mgbVwlZdc12_Cw5Cy4J4RWNPSBFa4oRTV4lNnfO0xtlR_r2sF7k6WJ7hGIAduAPms3KqaBuuSnw0ADpAN1756G2mI3XmpGUYFU8SkEfdXYiNQUy5BVprKFRLrFx-fipnP53D8Dt5HkCscyh/w640-h360/earth%20day.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">You heard the story
of a young Albert Schweitzer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you
know that later in his life he coined the term “reverence for life” and used
that concept as a foundation for how he chose to live in the world?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schweitzer wrote: “…Reverence for life
contains within itself the rationale of the commandment to love, and it calls
for compassion for all … life.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He goes
on: “I must interpret the life [around] me as I interpret the life that is my
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My life is full of meaning to
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The life around me must be full of
significance to itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am to
expect others to respect my life, then I must respect the other life I see,
however strange it may be to mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
not only other human life, but all kinds of life: life above mine, if there be
such a life; life below mine, as I know it to exist…We need a boundless ethics
which will include [all living things].”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His view of “reverence for life” led Schweitzer to believe that to cut a
flower needlessly was a violation of this fundamental ethical principle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flower, he believed, has the same right
that we have to fulfill its natural life cycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He let it grow wherever it was, not to adorn his home, but to fulfill
its potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This view of “reverence
for life” also led Schweitzer to write about and eventually to suggest to
President Kennedy that there should be an international agreement to stop
proliferation of nuclear weapons through international inspection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His work eventually led to a nonproliferation
treaty with Russia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Schweitzer also wrote: “Reverence for life
means being seized by the unfathomable, forward-moving will which is inherent
in all Being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It raises us above the
perception of the world of objects—[for our use]-- and makes us into the
tree—[among other trees, interconnected by our roots and branches]-- that is
safe from drought because it is planted by the water.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that's an interesting image and has
the potential to be a deeply effective passage to reflect on as a personal
meditation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We might also imagine
ourselves as a humming bird flitting before a trumpet creeper, drinking in the
rich nectar from the bright red flowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Such a reverence for life connects us with something ineffable and
sustainable. This holy connection to all life is intangible, yet even so it can
tangibly affect our behavior by making us stop and affirm with reverence each
form of life as we come into contact with it, as we choose to we bring it
somehow into our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This reverence
offers us an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of other forms of life
for our sustenance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Whether you affirm a more humanist view the
natural life cycle or a sense of a holy “reverence for life”, how we treat each
other and all other life, including mother earth, is something we, as Unitarian
Universalists, are called to reflect on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As Unitarian Universalists we can celebrate the beauty and wonder of
life on this Earth Day, but we can, should, affirm that we resist through our
thoughts, words and deeds treating any form of life, including this planet, as
object simply existing for our use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">It is easy to treat our food just as an
object to be consumed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What changes in
our thoughts, words and deeds when we experience food as once-living organisms
that had to give up their lives for our sustenance, for our existence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What changes when we reflect on how the
production of food impacts the climate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What changes when we hear how the trash that we have put in the recycle
bin, is being buried in trash heaps, not actually recycled?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which by the way is what I have learned from
Steve Synder, our Sexton, when he was talking about our recycling to the
company that picks up our trash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Perhaps Earth Day could be a time of
resistance looks like not giving into the societal pressure—on TV and social
media, in grocery stores or from our peers—to ignore how our food comes to us
or how we deal with our trash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
resistance is taking a look at our attitudes about other living things, whether
we think their values higher or lower than our own value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I heard that the Florida Senate gave
final approval to a bill that would prohibit investment strategies that Gov.
Ron DeSantis has deemed “woke,” sending the issue to his desk—in other words
investment is just for economic gain without consideration of its impact on
people and other living things or this planet—I got angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will resist this law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t just be complacent because I know the
UUA invests my retirement fund in ethical ways, I want to intentionally invest
in ways that will reflect my values and my reverence for the planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will back up my word with my action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe that’s not an option for you, but there
are other ways you can act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">As we reflect on Earth Day resistance, one
way you can take action is through the UU Ministry of the Earth, the Unitarian
Universalist Association Office at the United Nations, and the Unitarian
Universalist Association Green Sanctuary Program, who have come together to
launch the Create Climate Justice initiative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Create Climate Justice Net was created to give UU climate and
environmental justice activists and coalition partners a valuable tool for
education, collaboration, and organizing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Right now, their three current priority focus areas are:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Strengthening Unitarian Universalist communications and mutual support
networks for Climate Justice<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mobilizing UUs in solidarity with Indigenous front-line communities<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Supporting the Just Transition to an ecological civilization through
partnerships and civic engagement<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
way you can express your resistance in support of Earth Day is by joining the
Create Climate Justice initiative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
joined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to be more educated, and
more aware of witness opportunities, and so I can find ways to support the
“Just Transition to an ecological civilization.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
I urge you the spirit of love which is the foundation of our faith, to
celebrate and Resist this Earth Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unitarian Universalist Reverend Julie Taylor reflects on what love might
mean to UUs in this time of resistance:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love is patient<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love is kind<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">It does not envy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">It is not proud<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love bears all things<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">We know these words, use these words when we
refer to one person loving another.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love looks different when we relate to
systems.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love looks different in the face of
injustice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">[Love looks different when we decide to
treat all life forms with respect because each life form has worth and
dignity.]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">It is then that<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love is resistant<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love is defiant<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">It is not backing down<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">It is staying in the streets<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love is holding each other and ourselves
accountable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love is challenging — because none of us is
free until all of us are free.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love is protest<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Protest is love<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Love bears all things<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-15062029552110547232023-07-08T12:07:00.000-07:002023-07-08T12:07:11.762-07:00Let's Talk about Nonviolence by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 4/16/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx5Z38GWRa8kUMXqK_AJZe56uBBAEwiX8JMLyuG-Tvrw2G0CIh_WNKBZP2Ch1R3TpLEIH-2Cro6Tq7pHihAqiibJEGNUgS-CsAalckZgCInVPSfKZ-MtmlLnkqRL9XX7fzzz0BJPVZbuEkUbj6rNVB9HF0zvH7xEGkzUyWn76QwMWXaRsJZXxadG_BDL-/s1280/nonviolence%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx5Z38GWRa8kUMXqK_AJZe56uBBAEwiX8JMLyuG-Tvrw2G0CIh_WNKBZP2Ch1R3TpLEIH-2Cro6Tq7pHihAqiibJEGNUgS-CsAalckZgCInVPSfKZ-MtmlLnkqRL9XX7fzzz0BJPVZbuEkUbj6rNVB9HF0zvH7xEGkzUyWn76QwMWXaRsJZXxadG_BDL-/w640-h360/nonviolence%20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Mohandas Gandhi was
an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed
nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence
from British rule. He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across
the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Ghandi wrote:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I learnt the lesson of nonviolence from my
wife, when I tried to bend her to my will. Her determined resistance to my
will, on the one hand, and her quiet submission to suffering my stupidity…., on
the other, ultimately made me ashamed of myself and cured me of my stupidity in
thinking that I was born to rule over her and, in the end, she became my
teacher in nonviolence.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even
Ghandi, one of the many spiritual teachers of nonviolence, had conflict in his
personal life, and had to find a way to cope with and learn from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conflict is a natural normal part of the
human condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are in any kind
of relationship—at work creating a product, in a congregation developing a budget,
in a friendship deciding on where to go eat, we will be in some sort of conflict
at one point or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How we approach
conflict, how we manage our emotions while in conflict, and how we bring our
spirituality into the conflict determines whether the conflict will ultimately
be resolved in a healthy and satisfying way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I believe there are ways of resolving conflict without the damaging
effects of anger or rage; I believe in a faith-centered, nonviolent way of
resolving conflict that includes the co-creation of a resolution using mind,
heart, spirit, and humility. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">This is from The
Road Less Traveled by psychiatrist and author M. Scott Peck:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">“There are two ways to confront or criticize
another human being; with instinctive and spontaneous certainty that one is
right, or with a belief that one is probably right arrived at through
scrupulous self-doubting and self-examination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first is the way of arrogance; it is the most common way of parents,
spouses, teachers, and people generally in day-to-day affairs; it is usually
unsuccessful, producing more resentment than growth and other effects that were
not intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second way is the way
of humility; it is not as common, requiring as it does a genuine extension of
oneself; it is more likely to be successful…”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before
I go more deeply in discussing nonviolent resistance, I think it is important
to acknowledge that political and social conflict can feel so much bigger than
day-to-day conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that so many of
us are burned-out, fatigued, and overwhelmed with the state of our culture and
politics right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many of us are
asking, “What can one person or even a small group of people possibly do to
change societal norms or state laws?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
our world right now, there is so much hate, resentment, polarization, it is
challenging to even decide where to put our energy or what to resist. We only
have so much political power and physical, mental and emotional energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many issues, just here in
Florida that cry out for resistance—restrictions on Woman’s Reproductive Rights
and LGBTQ Rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making gun ownership
easier, without even requiring any kind of training on safe use of a
firearm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Restricting access in schools
to certain books and to the history of African Americans in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Restricting medically necessary supports for
the transgender community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where and how
do we use nonviolent resistance to confront these issues?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is easy to get frustrated, angry, scared,
overwhelmed, even paralyzed by so many issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">“Yes!” Magazine
reporting Fellow Melissa Hellman considered what civil disobedience at Standing
Rock teaches us:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Resistance is bolstered in our divine
identity that resists the seduction of the darkness in ourselves and in the
temptation and lies that a proto-fascist system might throw at us. Resistance
at Standing Rock is a spiritual and moral act as well as an environmental and
political act…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We can be part of an organized mass movement
of non-violent protest grounded in the deepest spiritual principles of
compassion, modeled on Martin Luther King, Jr, the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, and
Polish labor activist, Lech Walesa. Such a resistance that holds a high moral
ground is blessed by invisible powers and has an extraordinary capacity to
shift the situation.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
a minister, I am called to speak with both a prophetic voice—telling you and
those in power the truth as I see it—and a pastoral voice—giving comfort to
those who are suffering as well as hope for what the future might bring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not avoid speaking truth, whether it be
in front of political leaders or in a congregational committee meeting, even as
I understand that the truth may be difficult to hear, even if the truth may
result in conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But speaking truth
must be tempered with a humble spirit, my own self-reflection, and a
willingness to be open to engage with and listen to those to whom I am
speaking. Just telling them that they are wrong, or that they are racist, or
that they are fascist will not result in them changing their hearts and
mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By being willing to understand how
they came to their truths and made their decisions, I can begin a process of
communication that can result in change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nonviolent resistance isn’t always about rallies and petitions, it is
also interpersonal engagement for change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">Mohandas K. Gandhi
wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">“If someone with courage and vision can rise
to lead in nonviolent action, the winter of despair can, in the twinkling of an
eye, be turned into the summer of hope. Nonviolence is not a garment to put on
and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part
of our being. Nonviolence, which is a quality of the heart, cannot come by an
appeal to the brain. It is a plant of slow growth, growing imperceptibly, but
surely.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nonviolence
is not a garment to put on and off at will.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I want to repeat that because I believe that in order to participate in
nonviolent resistance nonviolence has to be braided into your character, your
thoughts, words, and deeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nonviolence
is not just outwardly focused on the issues we are facing in society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also inwardly focused on how we are with
ourselves, with those we love, with those in our communities and congregations,
with those around us as we live and move through life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will admit right up front that I am not
perfect at being nonviolent in all that I do, but I aspire to it always, in my
thoughts, words and deeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being
nonviolent does not means my life is without conflict—whether in my marriage,
in congregational committee meetings, or in working with those in political
action networks or non-profits who are trying to make this world a better place
for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does mean I think, speak and
live my truth with peace in my heart and compassion for all those with whom I
come into <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Recently
I spoke with an African American minister and the South Dade Branch of the
NAACP president.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was talking with them
about allyship on issues that were coming down from Tallahassee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without hesitation I spoke on the many issues
that I felt passionately about, including transgender rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also said that I and many of the people I
knew in the congregation and in other groups that I am affiliated with would
look to them, the African American community, to take the lead on issues of
importance to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both the minister
and the president of the local NAACP said that transgender issues would be
issues that not a lot of African American churches or members of the NAACP
would easily be able to rally around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
the other hand, they didn’t want other people’s rights restricted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After much discussion and periods of silence,
they said they might be willing to help with transgender issues if they
believed that we would stand beside them when they fought for this issues that
were important to them—we being, white people, LGBTQ people, and women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither the minister nor the local president
of the NAACP Branch felt like there had been a history of non-black people
standing with them when they were in need, when they were fighting for their
rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told me trust would have to
be built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assured the local NAACP
president that I would rally those I knew when he was in need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have joined the NAACP and plan to attend
some of their witness events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As our
conversation came to a close, I hoped that he would find a way to be an ally to
some of the issues that I felt passionate about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say
no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that I had planted a seed
and trust that will have to be nurtured by my following up on my words with
actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who know how this see will
grow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe its potential is
unlimited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This interaction we shared,
with peace in our hearts and a willingness to engage, is as much nonviolent
resistance as holding a Black Lives Matter Rally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My
friends, having this Black Lives Matter sign in our church and on our property,
even if it is covered up <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;">and having this LGBTQ flag in our church and
flying in front of our building, are acts of nonviolent resistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll tell you a story about a member of my
congregation in Naperville, IL who had the same LGBTQ flag in front of his home
in a very conservative neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
know a lot of Make American Great signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was his own act of nonviolent resistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time some of the people who lived near
him, asked him about his flag and he gladly talked about it and why it was
important to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of his neighbors
began to display LGBTQ flags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually
in his conservative neighborhood, there were five, six, seven flags waving in
support of the LGBTQ community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of
them practicing nonviolent resistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We,
as the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, practice nonviolent
resistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our Unitarian Universalist
Principals call us to treat everyone with respect, with compassion, with
equity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our cars are bumper stickers
like Hate Has No Home Here and Abortion is Health Care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We educate ourselves on the issues facing the
marginalized, the handicapped, people of color, women, children, the homeless,
returning citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sign petitions,
attend rallies, write letters to the editor, hold discussions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For over 3 years we have worked to Decenter
Whiteness in our governance at this church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have preached on nonviolent communication and modeled nonviolent
communication and behaviors both in the congregation and in my public
initiatives. In the short time I have been here, even with the extreme
impedances that COVID and quarantine that shut down this congregation, we have
built relationships with allies, including interfaith and intercultural
groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us have volunteered at
Planned Parenthood and have talked to state and local legislators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are all ways of embodying nonviolent
resistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How
can you express nonviolent resistance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How can you hold space for authentic discussions and sharing of truths
with those in your sphere of influence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can’t answer questions for you, but I bet you have some ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How will you make a positive difference,
resisting racism, and any other oppression here in Miami, while keeping a
humble, compassionate heart and an open mind, ready to engage with people who
may be different than you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the
questions that each of us must ask ourselves and reflect on before we work to
stem the tide of oppression here in Florida.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I can’t wait to see how you answer them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-37338120776337288992023-07-08T11:59:00.001-07:002023-07-08T11:59:25.764-07:00Dosing Your Pain, You don't have to be all in with pain by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 3/12/2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhxIlh46E4TO5l95vof4wmqMa5hQOPiKVZ0DJN989YLaiEGZt27Hsac3qjBbYD_JzaMBkethPnKh_4e4IVHb4-sY2_jd8CYkdiexVQHXc-OpxFuefuiWtHuPeEjARiM7fyINNNjAbdN9vqAwa45kAkIP779Acyorf5wlE9dgC-87cgGtrNg3_SgDWCCOl/s2000/dosing%20pain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhxIlh46E4TO5l95vof4wmqMa5hQOPiKVZ0DJN989YLaiEGZt27Hsac3qjBbYD_JzaMBkethPnKh_4e4IVHb4-sY2_jd8CYkdiexVQHXc-OpxFuefuiWtHuPeEjARiM7fyINNNjAbdN9vqAwa45kAkIP779Acyorf5wlE9dgC-87cgGtrNg3_SgDWCCOl/w640-h360/dosing%20pain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I
grew up in a home with a father who had alcoholism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think at least in part, I became a
counselor for people with alcoholism, drug addiction and eating disorders in
order to cope with my own family history, to not look within to deal with my
pain, but to let my need for healing and pain relief come out sideways by
helping others heal and feel relief from their pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early in my life I was unwilling to open the
Pandora’s box of pain that was resting unopened in my shadow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not to say I didn’t know it was there
and that I wasn’t curious about it, but most of all I was afraid that if I
opened it, its contents would come flying out, uncontrollable, destructive, and
in the end, I would become incapacitated by them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t read the story of Pandora’s box all
the way to the end early in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t know that like Pandora’s box, hope was also at the bottom of my closed
and sealed box of pain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We all have pain, different types—physical, mental,
emotional, spiritual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some pain seems
small, like a slight burn from a hot pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Others incomprehensively large – like the childhood trauma of living
with an alcoholic father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some pain we
deal with in the moment with a little antibiotic; some pain may take a lifetime
of healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We each deal with pain in
different ways and for that matter deal with different pains in different
ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have strategies to deal with
the pain itself, to deal with the emotional and spiritual vulnerability that
results from being in pain, and even to deal with suffering—the distress we experience
as a result of pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of these
strategies are learned early in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of these strategies are effective; some are not so effective; they
might even be destructive to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Awareness of those strategies
helps us to make mindful, effective, choices when dealing with whatever pain
rises up in our body, mind, heart, or soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">breathing in<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">i am aware of my pain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">breathing out<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">i am aware that i am not my
pain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">breathing in<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">i am aware of my past.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">breathing out<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">i am aware that i am not my
past…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">breathing in<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">i am aware of hope.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">breathing out<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">i am aware that i am an agent
of hope.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">breathing in<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">i am aware.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I want to talk with you about dosing your pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To cope with pain that is ongoing and/or profound/significant/traumatic—and
I am not here to judge what profound/significant/traumatic is for you, that is
up to you to decide—we develop strategies, consciously or unconsciously, that
work to seemingly extinguish the pain, to quell the pain or at the very least
help us manage it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us, I think
all of us really, learn in one form or fashion to put pain in an imaginary box
and close the lid, always finding new and different ways to keep the lid shut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some might consider these strategies as ways
dosing your pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As I worked for many years as a psychotherapist, I
increasingly found that many people in distress have a box of pain, full up,
ready to burst open, creating such fear that their Pandora’s box of pain would
open and destroy them that my clients used strategies like drinking alcohol,
taking drugs, binging on food, on sex, on physical pain by cutting themselves
to keep the lid on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These destructive
habits ruined their relationships, their physical health, and everything in
their lives. Certainly, I have heard these strategies described as dosing your
pain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over my life as I have become a more spiritual person, I have
come to a point where I now understand that pain is an inevitable part of
life—I haven’t gotten to the place where I see it as a gift, but maybe
someday—and that pain is not something to be avoided, suppressed, or
ignored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pain is simply one of many
signals that our mind, body, heart, and spirit give us that we need to pay or
give attention to something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that
pain avoided, suppressed, or ignored will more forcefully impact our lives,
trying as hard as it takes to get our attention so that we will deal with it,
learn from it, and/or grow in understanding of who we are in the light and
shadow sides of ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I realize that all of us would just-as-soon avoid pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pain after all is painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But because pain is part of living, the only
time we will not feel pain is when we cease to be alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I have come to believe it is important to
approach pain with curiosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
that didn’t seem to work out for Pandora, but didn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her curiosity also released hope into the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some stories of Pandora, hope
actually healed Pandora after all the sickness, death, all sorts of evil things
nearly killed her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think we can
even imagine a pre-Pandora world, with no sickness, death or evil in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was never such a world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, what do you take from this story? Do we
think the story encourages us to do or start something even if it might cause
many unforeseen problems? Opening a can of proverbial worms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or perhaps there is something else to learn from the Pandora story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From my perspective, we all have a Pandora’s box within us.
It is filled with all the things we hold in the shadow side of ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We put things that are we have come to
believe are unacceptable, unlovable about ourselves, however we have come to
believe those things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we put some of
the pain we experience in there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly
pain we are unsure how to face, cope with, and/or manage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike Pandora, we try to keep the lid
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But like Pandora, I believe there is
also hope inside that box of ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I
believe that to live a full, authentic life, we have to open the box lurking in
our shadow from time to time, letting out a little of our pain, healing from it
and renewing our hope that we can accept and deal with our pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I take from Pandora’s story is that if
we don’t open at least occasionally practice an unflinching self-examination,
we tend to live in an unrealistic world, a world where we avoid uncomfortable
experiences, where we don’t have to think about evil, death, suffering,
pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet hope can spring from pain,
and the seeds of hope can be found planted in the most evil of
environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we reach through the
pain in order to grasp the strands of hope, we realize that we can live life
with all its brutal realities with its problems and pain; if we can just keep
hanging on to hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope that we don’t
have to suffer indefinitely, that we can experience pain without falling apart.
Hope that we can heal from pain, even from pain that has been hidden in our
boxes in our shadow for a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Not I am not all in with pain. But I mean I do not think we
have to feel pain all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t
have to let pain dictate our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its
okay to put pain in a box for a period of time, so long as we don’t just leave
it there unexamined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I don’t think
we need to feel all the pain inside our Pandora’s boxes all at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would be, for most of us,
overwhelming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have to throw the
box completely open; we can exercise some control and let a little out at a
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Experience it, work to understand
it, figure out how this pain influences our lives, and learn more about who we
are. Be curious about it. This is what I consider healthy, constructive of
dosing our pain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have over the years, opened myself up to some of the pain
about growing up in a home with a person who had alcoholism. It was
uncomfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have learned that I
need to examine this pain when I am not distracted by other things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I have learned that some of my initial
reactions to pain that I feel or pain that I see in those I care about is to be
the hero, to try to fix the situation, and/or to stand up for those in need,
because it is what I tried to do in my own family as the oldest child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing this about myself, I make every
effort to respond mindfully when I am in pain, or someone I care about is in
pain, and then be curious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
immediately react with my old strategies, but figure out what the teaching is
in this situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To not immediately
try to get rid of the pain in myself or others, but to consider what the path
ahead might be, if I take time to listen, to feel, to explore, and if another
person is involved to consider their experience of the situation, how they want
to proceed, and collectively, collaboratively move forward together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How can you be open and curious about old or new pain, or
pain hidden away in your shadow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps
you might practice a little meditation like we did today when pain happens or
when you are curious how what is in your box in your shadow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grounding yourself, so you don’t react with
old strategies, perhaps you might consider being open to new ways to deal with
pain or perhaps you might begin to think of pain as a signal, a sign to pay
attention to something, rather than a reason to always react to something—in
most cases it is not like you are getting burned from a hot pan and need to
pull you hand away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fully experiencing
life, especially the painful parts, is not easy. I really do know that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you have a choice about how you will
respond when you experience pain or when that old pain inside rises up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop, breathe, and give yourself the time you
need to consider what choices might help you better understand yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-72494165463777860432023-07-08T11:53:00.001-07:002023-07-08T11:53:59.008-07:00The Path of Vulnerability without the weight of Shame by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 3/5/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiheF-xbHqpYmEKdQ_kJHQ_-8snUaeqoG96h_mUhfkZo4jXgupiL2GI8SM2CNdE59jKFyPp0vm3I0kGafKdkRgfj4zfVFn_mBw0barjPuSpJSMBtGiU-zEMa_nfVkJeeMZ-w1mMKmFbMAMkCHnAmDCyzdLykQyhD73eenqNNDxO497tLiIwTzgd1_tWPa/s912/vulnerability%20no%20shame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="912" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiheF-xbHqpYmEKdQ_kJHQ_-8snUaeqoG96h_mUhfkZo4jXgupiL2GI8SM2CNdE59jKFyPp0vm3I0kGafKdkRgfj4zfVFn_mBw0barjPuSpJSMBtGiU-zEMa_nfVkJeeMZ-w1mMKmFbMAMkCHnAmDCyzdLykQyhD73eenqNNDxO497tLiIwTzgd1_tWPa/w640-h426/vulnerability%20no%20shame.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">How
many have heard the phrase “Fake it til you make it”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you how many people—usually
professors, colleagues, co-workers-- said that to me when I started out as a
psychotherapist and as a minister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Putting myself out there in front of people as an expert, a
professional, someone who knows what the heck they are doing, when in fact they
are brand new, not yet experienced, winging it the best they can is tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being vulnerable in front of someone who has
expectations of you is tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is easy
to experience “Imposter Syndrome.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Feeling like you are an imposter because you don’t know enough, are not
experienced enough, not smart enough, just not enough to be what you are
expected to be or do what you are expected to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I remember the first time I led a psychotherapy group, I
decided I would look more like a psychotherapist if I were smoking a pipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know more thoughtful, more mature, maybe
more cool—well I was much younger then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Looking back on it now, I didn’t do take up pipe smoking so that the
members of the group would perceive a psychotherapist, but so I would feel less
like an “Imposter.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt that the pipe
gave me a gravitas so I could cope with those feelings of shame—“I am not good
enough” “I am not who you think I am”-- and doubt that were running through my
brain and my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realized early on,
no matter how much shame and doubt I experienced, the only way to get past
these feelings was by being in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The
quote Brene Brown mentioned in the video by Theodore Roosevelt has always
resonated with me and carried me through each and every time I put myself out
there, as a professional, as an expert, as an advocate, as an ally: “It is not
the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to
the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat
and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually
strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who
spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph
of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while
daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid
souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nowadays, I have had countless experiences of being in front
of thousands of people, in rallies, in pulpits, in front of lawyers, judges,
mayors, police chiefs, in front of people similar to me and those very
different than me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been supported
and I have been challenged, I have been affirmed and I have been
threatened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing I have learned is
that the person who is most likely to stop me from putting myself out there is
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am my worst critic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am the one who knows all the things lurking
in my shadow, my shame, my doubt, the things I regret or feel guilty about, the
times I let my shame and fear control me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I will tell you, it is easier to remember those times than it is
remembering the successes, the changes I help make in the world, the times I
really made a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Vulnerability is about being in the arena, about being
willing to fail, about risk, about sharing a part of yourself, about “daring
greatly”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you how many
times, when I was new to ministry, that I questioned whether my message was
meaningful, useful, inspirational to those listening to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could I possibly say something that would
touch someone in some way that made them think, feel, be called to action, be
inspired to embrace transformation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
my goodness if anyone said something, even a small comment by one person, about
the message, well that just reinforced my “Imposter Syndrome.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will tell you that I am not weighed down by
that shame now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not let my inner
critic, my shame monster, stop me from being in the arena or risking
vulnerability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that I have made a
difference in peoples lives; I have touched people, inspired people, called
people to action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also know that I am
not perfect, that not every sermon hits it out of the park, but that is no
reason to stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I stopped every time
I failed, then I wouldn’t have been a psychotherapist and I wouldn’t be a
minister.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Someone—a psychotherapy colleague-- once said don’t give up,
keep doing what you are doing, and if you fail, just keep in mind that all you
are doing is talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words cannot kill
people. Well, that is quite literally true. But, over time I have come have a
more nuanced understanding of the power of words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words can kill one's spirit. Words can make
people feel dead inside, and words cannot easily be taken back once spoken or
written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as a psychotherapist or a
minister, my words can have more power over someone, whether I want them to or
not, and significantly influence a person. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I remember once when I was in Cedar Rapids serving Peoples
Church Unitarian Universalist, that a young Evangelical minister preached that
same sex marriage was as destructive as the devastating 500 year flood that
wreaked havoc on Cedar Rapids a year before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He preached that his flock should do everything possible to stop same
sex marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was surprised by the
hateful emails he received from the public as this message got out beyond the
walls of his church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The local paper
asked to interview me about his message, and one of the things I said was that
this young preacher didn’t really understand the power of the pulpit, in other
words that his message deeply touched people and called them to action, beyond
his imagining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the interview was
published, he reached out to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
agreed to talk to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He genuinely
didn’t understand why people reacted the way they did, heaping him with shame
and vitriol, I believe the weight of this shaming was on the verge of shutting
him down. He had preached a message he truly believed, yet the response outside
of his congregation was not adulation and support, as he had expected, but
attacking, treating his message as shameful, and the attacks kept growing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to help him realize that he was
empowered by his congregation, his position, and the pulpit he stood behind to
change people’s lives, and he needed to be aware of the magnitude of that power
and be careful how he wielded it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Messages of othering and hatefulness of dictating that all of society
should adhere to what he determined as either absolute right or absolute wrong
wee, to say the least, problematic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was not there to heap more shame on him, believe me, he was getting plenty of
that non-stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was just about ready
to step out of the arena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some
people might say I should have encouraged him on his way out the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what I tried to do keep him in the arena
and encourage him to use his power constructively for love, for connection, for
justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He listened, though I am not
sure to this day if he understood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I
can do is teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot make the other
person learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I can still try.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When, my friends, are you in the area?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you use the power you have?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you willing to risk, to be vulnerable,
for the greater good, for love, for building connection between people, for
justice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I wonder, how does shame
–either yours or the shame others try to put on you--try to stop you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What messages do you give yourself – that you
are not good enough, not strong enough, not smart enough—the messages that
weigh you down and keep you from getting into the arena of life? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I guess you might say “Well, Rev Tom, you are probably not
bothered by shame anymore because of all of your experiences and effectively
coping with your shame time and time again.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I would answer “It is true that I am less weighed down by shame than
I used to be, but those shame messages are still within me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I am too tired, too hungry, my blood
sugar is low, or when I am under a lot of stress, those shame monsters within
me still impact me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But here’s the
thing, I do not let them control me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
I know that each time I give into them, I empower them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, I ask you how do you manage the shame messages within
you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe we all have them hidden
away in the dark recesses of our psyches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What are the strategies you employ to keep them from weighing you down?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I want to offer you three strategies that have helped me
manage my shame monsters, although I have already mentioned one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t let the shame messages keep you out of
the arena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know this is hard, but I
will tell you, the more you don’t give into them, the less power they will have
over you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another way is to reach out to someone you trust and ask them
to hold space for you as you give voice to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often by giving voice to them, you can see
these thoughts and feelings for what they are: irrational and destructive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The person you trust simply holds space; they
don’t give you any feedback or offer any advice, or tell you that the thoughts
are irrational, he/she/they just need to be there to listen without judgement.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have also found that spiritual practices help me as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meditation, prayer, ritual, let me
get enough emotional distance from my shame monsters to more easily understand
the irrationality and destructiveness of their messages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s try this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I invite you to do is to think of one of
those shame messages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t have to
be a big one, as a matter of fact, probably choose one that you already have
some control over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now close your eyes
and take a deep breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Focus on your
breathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feel the air entering and
leaving your body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When your attention
moves away from your breathing, gently bring your focus back to your breathing
over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice how
sensations and thought and feelings move into your attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t try to push them out or hold onto them.
Each time you are distracted, bring you attention back to your breathing, those
distractions will seem to float around until disempowered, they gradually leave
your consciousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now let that shame
thought enter you mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just leave
it there while you focus on your breathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And bring your attention back to your breathing again and again and
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice how you feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice what happens to that shame
thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now take deep slow breath and
open your eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All these strategies are practices, coping mechanisms that
require practice to be helpful and effective for you to reduce the weight of
your shame thoughts, to disempower the shame within you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To end, I want to share again the prayer I offered
earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I changed the last line, to one
that resonated more with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I invite
you to notice how you experience these words as you consider your own shame
messages:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Spirit of Life..Teach us to
love into brokenness<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">to give space for,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">to be patient with,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">[our] healing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Let us be strong in our
vulnerability<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">in our not-knowing,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">in exposing our
less-than-perfect scary bits, to those in front of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Give us courage to face
judgment, scorn, and hatred [in service to] the greater good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Let us be disciples of
Essential Goodness, strong in our knowing that in each Being there is a divine
light of the soul.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Give us the strength, .., to
keep feeling empathy, even when we are tired and broken.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">For it is then that we are
empowered to stay in the arena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-19514966982986325742023-07-08T11:47:00.000-07:002023-07-08T11:47:13.222-07:00"Agape: Unearned Love" by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 2/19/2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjln0FeBOf4FraNP53Waszb-FYhDljlJPM4fd6KQmjyukRZPod5o7wHGFDxisqkggDIPBDjQBI2_oh41Ue6x76tmT4VTQCsf1iSp4mDKka-FSx6vZZaKWx69cRXU2kof8LB8AIAfKgZU5-qDVRY0hMy7YSiPk0RT6xl0-5GIXB7HVKEl79QxmgY3dgF_d7R/s829/agape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="829" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjln0FeBOf4FraNP53Waszb-FYhDljlJPM4fd6KQmjyukRZPod5o7wHGFDxisqkggDIPBDjQBI2_oh41Ue6x76tmT4VTQCsf1iSp4mDKka-FSx6vZZaKWx69cRXU2kof8LB8AIAfKgZU5-qDVRY0hMy7YSiPk0RT6xl0-5GIXB7HVKEl79QxmgY3dgF_d7R/w640-h426/agape.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Agape.
Love. Unmerited Love. Unmerited acceptance. Everyone’s worth and dignity seen and
respected. Grace. Feeling loved. Feeling accepted. By a divinity, by another person, by humanity. Regardless of who you are, how you look,
where you are from, who you love, how you embody your gender. Regardless of what you do or don’t do. Regardless.
Just for existing. At every
moment, you are beloved.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Have you ever felt loved and accepted just for existing? Not because of something you have done. Perhaps someone has treated you that
way. Perhaps you helped a stranger. Perhaps you felt a wash of unmerited grace
and love when something worked out in your life when you didn’t earn it or
deserve it. Perhaps you felt the touch
of grace when you saw overwhelming beauty in nature, feeling a part of creation
or divinity, accepted as part of the whole just as you are. I hope you have. Do you think that’s an isolated
experience? A privileged experience. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> You already know that world there is full unfairness, racism,
oppression, injustice, hatred. People
who experience those, especially those who experience those systemically,
routinely, who are traumatized, hurt and killed by unfairness, racism,
oppression, injustice, hatred may have a difficult time feeling unmerited love
or grace or acceptance in their hearts.
Our Unitarian Universalist Principles call us respect the worth and
dignity of every person, giving voice to that respect through compassion,
acceptance, and with acts and systems of justice. How we do this will vary from person to
person. We are called to love and accept
everyone, but particularly those in need, those treated unfairly and unjustly.
We do this because of our Unitarian Universalist heritage, because we seek to
live by our Unitarian Universalist values/Principles, because we believe in
right actions in the face of the evils of the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> I mentioned something in our last Social Justice meeting,
that I want to share with you today. A
woman called me a few days after Tyre Nichols’ death. She said she was looking at the UU Miami
website to see what she could do in response to his death and was surprised
that UU Miami didn’t offer any information about any anti-oppression actions
she could take, nor did our website mention any action this congregation is
taking, in response to his death. I was
left somewhat dumbfounded and a little embarrassed. You will notice in the Social Justice
Committee email I put out a week or so ago that the committee is seeking to
work with a Black church or organization that is active in social justice, so
that we could join our efforts with theirs.
Specifically, to let Black organizations take the lead in racism and
police violence issues as this is the population most directly impacted by
these issues. The Social Justice Committee, and I’m sure other members of this
congregation, want to support them, attend their rallies, and consider how we
can better understand their perspective on the issues. Why support their perspective? Why not just head out on our own to do some
good old social justice work? Because
our role is not to be White Saviors, swooping in with the best of intentions
and taking over. We seek to honor the
Black community’s worth and dignity by aligning our efforts to the efforts they
are already making on their own behalf.
This method of interfaith, transracial work seeks to dismantle structures
of white supremacy while addressing the effects those structures have on the
targeted population. And so the Social
Justice Committee is actively seeking Black Community leadership and offering
our time and energies in support of the initiatives they have identified as
actionable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> A week or two ago, I received my weekly edition of Sightings,
a publication of the University of Chicago Divinity School. The article in this edition was called
“Should We Watch Videos of Racialized Police Violence?” By Zachary Taylor. Zachary is a White Ph.D. student in religious
ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He asks “what the moral value of our witness
is. Why should it matter, morally, that Americans bear witness to this horrific
display of police violence that led to the death of a Black fellow citizen? And
how can we bear witness to Black suffering in ways that avoid its
commodification [in other words converting human, social or cultural value into
market value], and exploitation?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> I find it problematic when the newscasters often show us some
horrible event as a teaser in the broadcast to in essence whet our appetite, so
we will stay tuned. Later in the broadcast they’ll lead the story with
something like “please be warned that the images in this video might be
disturbing.” Too little, too late, they
have already shown us the disturbing images 5 times before their warning. So
what purpose does it serve? To give us a
head’s up in case our attention has wandered away? To increase the market value of the
incident? It is so easy to be numb to
the violence because we are inundated with it, often without warning. And yet Taylor’s theological article was
encouraging me to watch these disturbing videos as an act of bearing witness to
racism and oppression and police violence so I won’t become numb to it, so that
I can combat society commodification of it, so that I don’t succumb to the
images with society’s default setting of exploitation. Am I “morally” called to watch the
exploitation of people of color, of marginalized communities as a form of
bearing witness to the problems in our society?
It is easy to feel helpless and even hopeless as a witness. As I read the article I wondered if any of
the unmerited acceptance and love I show to my fellow beings makes any real
difference in this world so full of hate and violence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Taylor goes on to suggest that bearing witness to these
videos can plant the seeds of change within us, and can lead to action. To do something in the world to have a
positive impact. Rallies, petitions,
protests, grassroots organizing, something concrete to try to make a
difference, to stem the rising tide of oppression, to try to effect
change. He writes: “we may watch these
videos so that we do not become desensitized to Black suffering, especially
when it is a result of state-sanctioned violence. Just as there is a concern
that repeated exposure to Black suffering and death may inure (white) audiences
to racial injustice, there is, equally, a concern that it is all too easy for
white viewers to turn their heads and avert their eyes to the horror of
racialized police brutality.” I have to
admit he is right; it is easy for me to get angry about what is happening to
others, and then return my privileged life
People of color and marginalized people can’t just turn their heads and
walk away from the trauma, abuse, oppression they live. I can take breath between the racism and
oppression I witness on TV or the internet, without worrying about what might
happen to me when I drive my car in white neighborhood, what might happen when
a police officer asks to talk to me. I
don’t have an ever-present, underlying concern about being injured or even
killed by those who abuse their power when they “serve and protect.” Can bearing witness to these videos be a way
to express unmerited love and acceptance of people who are different than me?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Finally, Taylor reflects on Moral philosopher Jeffrey
Blustein’s thoughts on witnessing these videos. “Blustein observes that injustice not only
typically results in physical or material harm (or even death, as is often the
result of police violence), but also communicates to victims that their lives
and interests matter less than those who perpetuate injustice… In response to
this harm, bearing witness ‘symbolically asserts the moral status of the
victims, their coequal membership in the moral community, by giving them and
their suffering a voice.’ In this view, the moral value of bearing witness to
Tyre Nichols’s suffering lies in the symbolic restoration of the status Nichols
was denied—that of a human being with dignity.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> The denial of worth
and dignity is not the Unitarian Universalist way. So yes, I am willing to watch these videos as
a witness to restore worth and dignity to a person who has had it removed, who
has been abused and treated as an object or somehow less than those who have
more power! These victims of radicalized
police brutality have inherent worth and dignity. They deserve, simply by virtue of their
existence, to be treated with compassion, justice, equity. No-one should be physically or emotionally
abused or much less killed for a traffic stop, for being in the wrong
neighborhood, for asking for help. Many
of us in this congregation are automatically treated with more worth and
dignity because of the color of our skin. Those of us who are heterosexual and
cis gendered are more likely to be treated with more worth and dignity in this
culture than people who don’t fit into hetero-normative standards. Is that fair?
Is that just? No, it is not. And yet that is the reality of our
culture. So, what do we do as Unitarian
Universalists? What can you do?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Each of us as individuals and all of us as a community can
commit to being the change we seek in the world. I am committing to bearing witness to videos
of police brutality? How? By not just letting those images wash past me, but by
being fully present and fully aware of what I am witnessing. By actively connecting what I’m witnessing to
my Unitarian Universalist Principles and Values, and exploring where there are
intersections, intersections that in turn might lead to concrete actions. I will continue to work for justice and
equity in human relations. The UU Miami
Social Justice Committee and all of you can bring forward ideas about how this
community can engender effective, tangible change. Like we did by rallying for Black Lives
Matter a few years ago. All of us can
seek to develop relationships with communities of color so that our community
can join with communities of color as we work toward the goals they themselves
have identified on critical needs. We
can treat all people with worth and dignity not because they’ve done something
to earn it, but simply because they exist.
Looking them in the eyes, talking to them with respect, honoring and
trying to understand their perspectives.
These may not be easy things to do, but as Unitarian Universalists,
these are the kinds of life-affirming actions we are called to do. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Please keep in mind during this Black History month, and
really, at all times keep in mind, that we are called to be allies to people
who are trying to rise up on the shoulders of ancestors whose names they do not
and probably will never know. Whose
stories and traditions were erased as they, as enslaved people, built this
country. Whose economic progress has
been restricted and whose very lives were threatened if they tried to succeed
or thrive. Please open your hearts and
minds to the stories of the African Americans who are part of the history of
this country, even if it makes you uncomfortable. This too is how we can embody unmerited love,
this is a way we can all move toward deeper connection with and more
understanding of those who need us with them as we work together to eradicate
racism and oppression in this country.
May it become so.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-46118028920434856072023-07-08T11:36:00.000-07:002023-07-08T11:36:02.836-07:00"Be My Valentine?" by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 2/12/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr87es7tONYrGcpEQu7Gpa83m1-WP2NUqyqvuD7htlonjpWqUp_SJMM_HNcmz2XADxKK6uS9cWcVFENBCq0khmeyVQxOVjuMnD3i1CZWaGYKEVrXktvwf3JRKbTJTh1vC4FwcCvv2cyMP1f0kXkerqJf8aG4vWroEQ6QVabQDYwBdcbkNLcWXaayNoOEv/s624/be%20my%20valentine%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr87es7tONYrGcpEQu7Gpa83m1-WP2NUqyqvuD7htlonjpWqUp_SJMM_HNcmz2XADxKK6uS9cWcVFENBCq0khmeyVQxOVjuMnD3i1CZWaGYKEVrXktvwf3JRKbTJTh1vC4FwcCvv2cyMP1f0kXkerqJf8aG4vWroEQ6QVabQDYwBdcbkNLcWXaayNoOEv/w640-h360/be%20my%20valentine%20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Reading<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">This story is about a
particular era and reflects some of the viewpoints of that time, but it also
offers some insight. This Swahili story
is set on the sultry coast of medieval East Africa. It is called “The Meat of the Tongue.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Once upon a time a sultan and a sultana lived
on the coast of Africa. The sultan loved to lavish his sultana with beautiful
gifts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> But the sultana was suffering. Her once rosy
cheeks became pale, and she started to wither away to nothing but bone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> The sultan called all his royal advisors and
doctors to the palace, but they couldn’t find a cure. However, they had heard
about a poor fisherman in their village whose wife was thriving. So they sought
him out, cornered him in a dark alley and asked what his secret was. Scared for
his life, the poor fisherman only replied with a mumble “meat of the tongue.”
Confused, but satisfied, the royal advisors returned to the palace, and the
sultan ordered his cooks to start making different kinds of tongue for the
sultana to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Unfortunately, the sultana didn’t get better,
so this time the sultan went to speak to the fisherman himself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> The sultan suggested that the sultana and the
poor fisherman’s wife exchange places for one week. The poor fisherman’s wife
was ecstatic to live in luxury, and the poor fisherman well, it was his sultan,
what was he going to say!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> So the switch happened. By the end of the
week, the sultan’s wife was gaining life again. Her cheeks were rosy and she
seemed a little healthier, while the poor fisherman’s wife had become listless
and pale.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> When the sultana returned to the sultan, the
sultan asked sultana what was the difference.
Before she could answer, the poor fisherman who delivered the sultana
back to the palace chuckled, “Your highness didn’t think I meant actual meat,
did you? Meat of the tongue means conversation. Every night my wife and I sit
around the fire and exchange stories and songs.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> “Is that it?” asked the sultan. He turned to
sultana, “is that what you need?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> “Yes,” said the sultana. “I didn’t know it
until now, but yes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> “Wow,” said the sultan. He promised he would
try to change, and at first it was awkward. Neither the sultan nor the sultana
had a lot of experience sharing their lives with each other. Not in that way.
But over time the two grew into a rhythm, and the sultana was happy once again.
And you know what they say: Happy Sultana, happy Sultan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Sermon<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> This May Martha and I will have been
married 42 years and we were living in sin for the 3 plus years before
that. So, that’s 45 years, folks. Of those years, we have had some great years
and some more challenging years—about 2-3 years when I was attending seminary,
when we wondered if we would stay together.
We have argued productively and not so productively. We have hurt and healed one another. We have raised 2 adult children who are now
thriving in their own lives. And I would
say that our relationship now is the best it has ever been. I tell you about Martha and I not to brag or
discourage anyone from attending seminary, but to begin a journey with you in
talking about eros love, with the understanding that I know a little about it
because I have lived it with some measure of success. At least enough success to understand that
there are ebbs and flows in an eros relationship, that being in love and out of
love is a normal part of the process.
Eros may be the spark that lights the flame of romantic love, but the
embers of that love are found in some of the friendship and/or partnership that
develops, with at least some shared interests and goals. The friction of
individual interests and goals can keep the spark in eros relationships. And in an eros relationship there is some
sort of decision about sex.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Last week I said, “It is also
important that we understand what we mean by love. In The Four Loves, author
and Christian thinker C.S. Lewis explored the different types of love that
humans experience…He described eros as the type of love you experience if you
are ‘in love’ with someone. There is a sexual component [in eros relationships]
but [there] is also much more then that.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I am not so sure this
definition fits for everyone celebrating Valentine’s Day. And I wonder about the elasticity of concepts
like eros or Valentine’s Day. Consider
the various ways that people understand an eros relationship, ways that are
beyond family connections or beyond friendship.
Relationships that aren’t based on charity. Eros relationships aren’t quite the same as
relationships based on the unmerited love we express as we help others, the
stranger, the marginalized the oppressed, those in need. Is the default setting of Valentine’s Day
hopelessly rooted in a binary construction?
Whether it’s boy-boy, girl-girl, girl-boy? What if you’re part of a thrupple? In a polycue?
What if you’re non-binary? What if you believe that eros is about
something more than what’s going on with your genitals? Or what if you are perfectly content and
happy just as you are on your own?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Is being “in love” the only
reason for the season of Valentine’s Day? Martha and I have talked about
celebrating Valentine’s Day over the years, we both generally feel it’s more
about sales of cards, candy, and flowers than it is an actual celebration of
love. What do you think Valentine’s Day
is about? Capitalism? Reinforcing a hetero-normative
construct? Chocolate and Flowers and
Champagne? Romance?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Before there was a St. Valentine,
there was holiday in Ancient Rome, Lupercalia, which was observed February
13–15 in honor of Juno and Pan, pagan gods of marriage and fertility. It was a
rite connected to purification and health, and had only a slight connection to
fertility--as a part of health--and none to romantic love. So often early Christian holy days were
overlaid onto pagan celebration days to help make pagans transition into Christianity
more palatably. There are some historians who believe that is the case with St.
Valentine’s Day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Numerous early Christian martyrs were
named Valentine. And thus there were
many stories of St. Valentine. One story is of the imprisonment of Saint
Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman
Empire in the third century. According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine
restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer. Thus demonstrating the
godly love Christians would show even to their persecutors. The celebration of Saint Valentine is not
known to have had any romantic connotations until Chaucer's poetry about
"Valentine's Day" in the 14th century. After that numerous later additions to the
legend became related to the theme of love: an 18th-century embellishment to
the aforementioned story claims St. Valentine wrote the jailer's daughter a
letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution;
another tradition posits that Saint Valentine performed weddings for Christian
soldiers who were forbidden to marry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Does a celebration centered around
purification rituals or extolling the spiritual joys of martyrdom resonate with
you? I mean we Unitarian Universalists
do have some martyrs of our faith, Francis David and Michael Servetus to name a
couple. In 1579 Servetus was burned at
the stake with his books that criticized biblical evidence for a Trinity. David
disputed the mainstream Christian doctrine of the Trinity, believing God to be
one and indivisible. He became the
founder of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania. He also persuaded King Sigismund of
Transylvania to pass the Edict of Torda in 1568. This order is often considered the first law
for the 'freedom of religion' in the World.
Perhaps we might celebrate some of our Unitarian Universalist martyrs on
February 14th? What do you think?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm
and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and I would add the
inherent worth and dignity of every relationship. Perhaps we could affirm the universality of
human beings’ relationships with one another, not necessarily eros, Valentine’s
Day type relationship, but any kind of relationship. Or we affirm the rich diversity of relationships
that result in people thriving and growing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Those gay and straight, near
and dear,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Gender metamorphic or
beautifully queer;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">For swooning adolescents <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">And seniors in senescence…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Or perhaps we could affirm,
acknowledge, and/or celebrate the union of two or more beings who are already
beautifully whole before they came together.
Acknowledging that you’re whole before you getting into a relationship.
And that love fractures you, changes you; you’re cracked open by love. We could affirm and/or celebrate with people
in relationships as they are cracked open as in-love turns to
partnership/friendship, and/or as parenting turns to empty-nesters. Some kind of transition ritual, like we do
when for high schoolers when they bridge to young adults.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Linda
Carroll writes about stages of cracking open.
She says those stages are: “Merge, Doubt and Denial, Disillusionment,
the Decision, and Wholehearted Love…These stages of a relationship are not
linear but cyclical. Even people who reach the fifth and final stage of a
relationship—Wholehearted Love—will eventually find themselves looping back to
Stage 1 to start the process all over again. But they can always find their way
back. [to Wholehearted Love]” (mindbodygreen.com) Note that she doesn’t say “will find their
way back to Wholehearted Love”—she says “can”.
If you’re luck and if you do the work.
Maybe we could have yearly cracking open ritual. Maybe cracking open an egg as we affirm how
love is cracking open new and different parts of ourselves. Maybe not eggs, their too expensive right
now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">So, I want to suggest
approaching Valentine’s Day a little differently this year. Try stepping outside the Big Red Heart Shaped
box, and honor what eros love personally means to you right now, today, this
year. What if you fell in love with
yourself this year? What would that look
like? Feel like? How would you hope the person who loves you
best of all would demonstrate that love for you? Treat you to a special night
out? Which by the way, this Friday the
UU Miami Children and Youth are invited for an evening of fun, games, and
pizza. If you’re a parent or caregiver,
you might want to talk to Carly about
that—just say ‘in. Those of you in Eros
relationships with other people—maybe romance for you this year is checking in
with each other about how it’s going, a sort of State of the Union
conversation. Maybe it’s watching each
other’s favorite movie in the dark, snuggled under a blanket. Or you could start a tradition, like the
sultan and sultana did, sitting around a fire exchanging stories and
songs. My point is that romantic
love—eros—doesn’t have to look like what commercials and greeting cards and
society in general tells you it has to look like. If those tropes don’t fit you and how or who
you love, that says more about society’s normative expectations than it does
about the wonderfully, beautifully unique person that is you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Valentine’s Day—or Galentines
Day or Palentines Day—can mean any number of things to any number of
people. Find out what it means to you,
and make it something that celebrates how you share love as you understand
it. So may it be.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-69732862899548988042023-05-11T13:25:00.004-07:002023-05-11T13:25:51.074-07:00Covenantal Love by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 2/5/2023<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--> <br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWX1xKKIRqCuhqgVKtJ0I5n2Mpzi5hb85GH88FVVJUdQyvyIMOPaH6GvOC8R3sD97qXHUgGQuxnA05D-Z5RWJP96KZuYW4_2W6eISDkmXt5bld7YenAG98hPBPzU3d3GQfiFj5EZB7ZWamNPWo2YZamL0A6mS7hoCmfd9t1Ru5b53rCOT77cVqrg1XQ/s266/covenantal%20love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="266" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWX1xKKIRqCuhqgVKtJ0I5n2Mpzi5hb85GH88FVVJUdQyvyIMOPaH6GvOC8R3sD97qXHUgGQuxnA05D-Z5RWJP96KZuYW4_2W6eISDkmXt5bld7YenAG98hPBPzU3d3GQfiFj5EZB7ZWamNPWo2YZamL0A6mS7hoCmfd9t1Ru5b53rCOT77cVqrg1XQ/w400-h226/covenantal%20love.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> Q: What’s the difference between
cats and dogs?
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">A: Dogs look at people and say,
“They feed us. They give us shelter. They take care of our every need. They
must be gods.” Cats look at people and say, “They feed us. They give us
shelter. They take care of our every need. We must be gods.” In the 19th
century Thomas Starr King was asked to describe the differences between the two
denominations Unitarianism and Universalism. He replied, “Universalists believe
that God is too good to damn them to hell forever. Unitarians believe they are
too good to be damned.” And so we might say that Unitarians are cats and
Universalists are dogs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I mentioned earlier, I have been
contemplating whether the core of our faith is love or covenant.<span> </span>I think it is love, one of my colleagues
argues it is covenant.<span> </span>And as many of
you know this summer at our denominational meeting, a new description of
Unitarian Universalism will be presented and voted on.<span> </span>The description of our faith does not come
from a god, goddess, bishop or higher ups in our denomination, it is voted on
by you—by Unitarian Universalist congregational members.<span> </span>What is being presented this summer is the
idea that Love is the foundation of our faith and that from this foundation
come our core values—honoring and affirming interdependence—the interdependent
web of all existence, equity—every person has the right to flourish with
inherent worth and dignity, transformation—growing spiritually and ethically in
an ever-changing world, pluralism—diversity in culture, experience and
theology, generosity—cultivating gratitude, hope, and compassion, and
justice—dismantling all forms of racism and systemic oppression and support of
the democratic process.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have to say I jumped on the Love
is the center of our faith bandwagon right away.<span> </span>I have always wondered why love was nowhere
in our present description of our faith.<span>
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">In Junior year of high school, as I
left the Catholic church, I felt an emptiness, a need to believe in
something.<span> </span>As Ralph Waldo Emerson once
wrote: “a person will worship something—have no doubt about that.<span> </span>We may think our tribute is paid in secret in
the dark recesses of our hearts—but it will out.<span> </span>That which dominates our imaginations and our
thoughts will determine our lives, and character.<span> </span>Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what
we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”<span> </span>So I didn’t jump into a new religion, though
I have to admit, I did check out what the Catholic youth group was doing with I
arrived at Texas Christian University.<span> </span>I
think I did this because I was looking for community more than anything else. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Yet as I
looked to fill that hole, that emptiness, the only thing I felt I could count
on was the love I gave to my friends and the love the gave to me.<span> </span>Now I have a small group of very close
friends.<span> </span>They are great guys.<span> </span>We did almost everything together.<span> </span>We also learned many lessons together, but
that is another sermon.<span> </span>One friend I
have known since third grade, another I met in Jr. High, and the last few in
High School.<span> </span>We trusted one another with
our lives, our secrets, our fears and sorrows.<span>
</span>When one of us was in need, we were there for them.<span> </span>So this is what I filled that emptiness
inside me with.<span> </span>And this is what I held
onto until I found Unitarian Universalism.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>My first
impressions of Unitarian Universalism were at First Jefferson Unitarian
Universalist Church or as we affectionately called it the church with the too
long name.<span> </span>This is the sanctuary.<span> </span>And actually they changed their name recently
to All Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist due to Thomas Jefferson’s
complicated history.<span> </span>Each Sunday, we
said a covenant, not unlike how we say a covenant here at UU Miami each Sunday.<span> </span>The FJUUC covenant was: “Love is the doctrine
of this church, the quest of truth is its sacrament, and service is its
prayer.<span> </span>To dwell together in peace, to
seek knowledge in freedom, to serve human need, to the end that all souls shall
grow into harmony with one another.”<span>
</span>This covenant made sense to me, it affirmed my belief in love.<span> </span>That love was foundational to what held me
together and what held Unitarian Universalism together.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>As I
studied Unitarian Universalist history, this love foundation was affirmed in
what I learned about Universalism.<span>
</span>Universalism always held love as most important, more important than
belief.<span> </span>A loving God, loving one
another.<span> </span>The symbol on the screen was
the symbol of the Universalist Church of America before the 1961 merger with
Unitarianism.<span> </span>The early Universalist
churches were more about pastoral care, communal care, support of those in
need.<span> </span>Some of our early Universalist
Social Justice workers found love to be foundational in their belief that they
were called to help those in need by being abolitionists, by helping the
injured in war, by working for woman’s rights.<span>
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have been all set to vote at
General Assembly this year for Love being the foundation of Unitarian
Universalism.<span> </span>But my colleague made a
good case for covenant being foundational to our faith.<span> </span>As he talked, I decided to look up some of
our forebears’ thoughts on covenant.<span>
</span>Unitarian Universalist minister Reverend Alice Blair Wesley wrote: “A covenanted
free church is a body of individuals who have freely made a profoundly simple
promise, a covenant: We pledge to walk together in the spirit of mutual love.
The spirit of love is alone worthy of our ultimate, our religious loyalty. So,
we shall meet often to take counsel concerning the ways of love, and we will
yield religious authority solely to our own understanding of what these ways
are, as best we can figure them out or learn or remember them, together.”<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I have also
thought more on this idea of Covenant.<span> </span>I
perceive covenant as coming from our Unitarian forebears.<span> </span>They believed in being independently minded,
not simply believing in something because other people believed it.<span> </span>They were so independent that for years they
couldn’t form a denomination because they feared losing their independence of
thought.<span> </span>That coming together as a
denomination would result in dogma and creed, and less theological acumen.<span> </span>This quote is from forebear Reverend William
Ellery Channing: “I call that mind free which jealously guards its intellectual
rights and powers, which calls no man master, which does not content itself
with a passive or hereditary faith, which opens itself to light whence soever it
may come, which receives new truth as an angel from Heaven.” That is why we are
the Unitarian Universalist Association. The idea of independent democratic
spiritual communities in community with one another is a legacy from our
forebears.<span> </span>They wanted to maintain our
independence of thought and belief while still being able to have a larger
association for support, for a larger prophetic voice, for sharing ideas,
practices, beliefs, and ultimately to affirm our common values.<span> </span>They also affirmed that being part of a
Unitarian congregation is and must always be a personal choice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Covenant, from a Unitarian
Universalist perspective, has two parts: a personal choice to be a part of a
congregation and deciding how we will be in community with one another.<span> </span>When I meet with someone interested in
joining UU Miami I affirm that this their own personal decision—I will not try
to manipulate them or try to make them feel guilty, nor will anyone else in the
congregation. <span> </span>I tell them that they
should join this congregation because this community means something to them,
is important to them, and not because of some trans-nationalism. This is not a
transactional faith—in which you are always looking for what you get from being
part of this congregation.<span> </span>It is a
covenantal faith.<span> </span>You voluntarily agree
to be in a community with shared values—values that include treating each other
and everyone you meet as having worth and dignity.<span> </span>That includes a belief that decisions should
be made both within these walls and beyond these walls through the democratic
process.<span> </span>Being part of this community
means we covenant to treat not only each other, but everyone compassionately,
justly, equitably.<span> </span>We affirm in our
words and our actions that we are part of many interdependent webs—this
community web, our family web, the web our nature/mother earth, the web of
existence.<span> </span>Since we embrace this
interdependence, we know that what we do to one affects us all.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I
believe in the importance of covenant.<span>
</span>It shapes the natural of our relationships here.<span> </span>is how we agree to be with one another.<span> </span>In this congregation, we decide how we will
worship, how we will govern, what committees, programs, educational experiences
there are, who is the minister, what staff we have, everything is decided by a
democratic process by you, the members of UU Miami.<span> </span>You have elected leaders to be fiscal agents
and policy developers, but ultimately this is your, and only your, congregation.<span> </span>Your covenanted community. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Are we a
faith with love as its center or covenant at its center? That’s something each
of us has to answer for ourselves.<span> </span>I
believe in the values that we affirm and promote.<span> </span>But here’s the chicken or egg dilemma, is
love where our faith comes from?<span> </span>Is love
foundational to our values, the place where our values come from?<span> </span>Or it being in a covenantal community, where
we decide how to be together, where we decide what love means and how we will
live that love in community the foundation of our faith?<span> </span>On Sunday mornings, do we say our UU Miami
covenant to affirm how we will be with one another?<span> </span>Or does the covenant come from a place of
love for one another?<span> </span>What do you think?<span> </span>I look forward to hearing what you think.</span></p>
<p></p><br />The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-39378872021830096842023-05-11T13:12:00.003-07:002023-05-11T13:12:56.363-07:00Off Center? by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 1/22/2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEkgyHwZ86amLtyNXhyE6Gmf9_BDYJ-8s3AwSns5EOQLHzP7nJoAuNgr3dWSCK70sWXCZqZ8tnJsL1aXdDAJ3mDWRlSZ60YAbNEh3gDkYWV-aP3S-zeVp_Jf_8qOYrgQyfaUUrjNJKq267mEZAy0diTee4kKlhIElAqeKITWgWHM2I3_W-1MX7pGUdQ/s624/off%20center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEkgyHwZ86amLtyNXhyE6Gmf9_BDYJ-8s3AwSns5EOQLHzP7nJoAuNgr3dWSCK70sWXCZqZ8tnJsL1aXdDAJ3mDWRlSZ60YAbNEh3gDkYWV-aP3S-zeVp_Jf_8qOYrgQyfaUUrjNJKq267mEZAy0diTee4kKlhIElAqeKITWgWHM2I3_W-1MX7pGUdQ/w640-h360/off%20center.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">Are you off-center?<span> </span>I mean off balance internally and/or off
balance between your inside and the outside world.<span> </span>Sometimes I feel I am.<span> </span>Sometimes I know I am.<span> </span>Sometimes I am, but I don’t know it.<span> </span><span> </span><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Near the end of my career as a
psychotherapist—this was over 25 years ago-- I noticed some things about
myself.<span> </span>I was more tired than usual
during work hours, finding myself even getting sleepy between clients.<span> </span>I wasn’t as interested in my work.<span> </span>Before that time, I attended many Continuing
Education programs, always interested in learning more, talking with colleagues
about various techniques, strategies, and client types, and taking on clients
with novel conditions—many of whom other therapists refused to see—being
fascinated by the human mind.<span> </span>I couldn’t
learn or experience enough.<span> </span>I loved
helping people, making a real concrete difference in peoples’ lives.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then something changed. I wasn’t
really aware of it initially. I realized that some of my particularly difficult
clients were draining me emotionally and I might have been able to endure this
to some extent if they were getting better, but they did not seem to be getting
better.<span> </span>I had really never told any of
my clients that I wasn’t a good fit for them and referring them to another therapist.<span> </span>But I was starting to wonder about both my
limitations—I had always thought I could or could learn to help anyone-- and I
began to wonder about the unique needs of some of my clients that I just didn’t
seem to understand well enough to help them progress beyond a certain point.<span> </span>And I just didn’t feel the same about my
work, the joy, intrigue, wonder that had been there for years, just wasn’t
there.<span> </span>It had become a drudgery; it was
work to just go to work; it no longer felt like my vocation. Something inside
me was off center and I couldn’t figure out what it was.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking back and being honest with
myself, I think it may have started with my overworking, taking on more clients
than anyone else in my practice.<span> </span>I was
motivated by the financial rewards—important due to my now growing family-- as
well as the accolades of my boss, peers and office staff.<span> </span>I can now very clearly see how I was like the
man who stole the gold, despite being in a crowd of people.<span> </span>All I could see was the money I needed to pay
the credit cards, to pay for a new home, to give my children all the things
they wanted or I thought they wanted.<span> </span>I
was more worried about getting behind on debts and fearful of needing to file
bankruptcy, although realistically I was paying my bills, and paying them on
time. There was no real need to file bankruptcy other than my own irrational
fears.<span> </span>But I was off-center.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now I don’t know about you, but
when I was younger, I was much more susceptible to being off center, not guided
by my deepest self.<span> </span>Instead, I found my
center by focusing on my job, on what I owned or earned, and by what others
said about me.<span> </span>And I would acknowledge
today that I was unaware that I was off center within myself and between my
inner self and the outside world.<span> </span>I mean
I did feel the tiredness, the reactivity about money, and the loss of interest
in my vocation, but I didn’t realize it was due to being off center.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Have you felt ever felt off
center?<span> </span>I would be surprised if you said
“No, not me, never me.”<span> </span>There are so
many things within and around us that pull our attention, that want to
masquerade as our center.<span> </span>Advertisements
use every means possible to manipulate us.<span>
</span>They want our center to be Medicare Advantage plans, Video Games,
Doritos, Coca Cola, Tick Tock trends, big HD or OLED TV’s.<span> </span>They use sex to sell beers, sodas, food,
cars, or really anything.<span> </span>I remember a
hamburger commercial that had some beautiful young woman eating a hamburger in
a very sloppy way to associate sex with their hamburgers. I would laugh, if it
is wasn’t so obviously manipulative. These are all designed to make us see only
the gold, thus centering only on something outside of us, so our actions are
determined by what the advertisers want our actions to be.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">And it not just the advertisers,
every person and experience we have can pull us off center, if we allow our
center to be outside of ourselves.<span> </span>I
know it is challenging to live life without dealing with the various stresses
and strains of the outside world.<span> </span>I mean
I let myself get off center a few days ago when I heard that Governor DeSantis
formally approved measures to protect Florida’s investments from “woke”
environmental, social, and corporate governance, ensuring that all investment
decisions focus solely on maximizing the highest rate of return.<span> </span>What the heck is he thinking?<span> </span>Sorry, but you can see how easy it is to let
something outside of you get you off center.<span>
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Back when I was struggling with my
vocation as a psychotherapist, it was the physical repercussions of being off
center that helped me realize I was out of touch with my deepest, truest
self.<span> </span>Backpain—debilitating muscle
spasms, frozen shoulder--stomach aches and all the other wonderful digestive
problems, headaches from my eyeballs to my neck, as well as the tiredness that
forced me to stop and reflect on what was going on within me.<span> </span>I have learned that, at least for me, it is
my body shouting at me through aches and pains to pay attention, that makes me
stop and pay attention.<span> </span>Because of that
learning, that I unfortunately had to learn multiple times, I have developed
habits/rituals that help me stay in tune with what my body was communicating to
me, before I reach the point I am in significant or debilitating pain.<span> </span>I am mindful of the slow creep of tension in
my back telling me, Tom, you are off center, reconnect with yourself stop
letting things outside you control how you feel, how you act and react. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wonder what you experienced as we
did the body part meditation earlier in the service.<span> </span>Did you notice something physically off
center within you as the two body parts touched?<span> </span>Perhaps a little tension in your neck or rumbling
in your stomach.<span> </span>Perhaps an awareness
that the clothes you are wearing to look good, don’t feel good on your
body.<span> </span>Perhaps you noticed racing
thoughts about any of a number of stressors or fears or anxieties or
resentments.<span> </span>And when I read the prayer,
did you notice how your inner self responded to it?<span> </span>Were you able to accept the message, let the
words strengthen you, ground you, help you feel more flexible?<span> </span>Were you able to affirm that you, all of you,
is as beautiful as the Almond tree in blossom?<span>
</span>Or did you notice resistance to these messages within you?<span> </span>Did you say to yourself, “I am not that
strong, or as grounded or as flexible as I need to be” and “I am certainly not
beautiful as the Almond tree in blossom.”?<span>
</span>Pay attention to these reactions.<span>
</span>They may be telling you are out of touch with yourself. And of course,
your reactions can let you know if you are close to your center as well—can you
imagine hearing within you “yes, your are as strong and grounded and flexible
as you need to be right now.”<span> </span>Or “yes
you are beautiful inside and out.” Or maybe you may simply notice feel a calm,
relaxed body. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now I think we all know that being
out of balance or being centered can ebb and flow.<span> </span>But by paying attention, we can get back to
our center, we can calm our bodies, we can acknowledge the stress, and deal
with it effectively, without letting what is bothering us or what is impacting
us control us or cause us irreparable harm.<span>
</span>As you pay attention to what is going on within you and you focus on
guidance from your deepest self rather than what the outside world wants you to
focus on, you will gain new awareness, learn more about yourself, and become
more confident in your ability to re-center yourself and deal effectively with
whatever comes your way.<span> </span>As Gautama
Buddha once said:<span> </span>“Be ye lamps unto
yourselves; be your own<span> </span>confidence; hold
to the truth within yourselves as to the only lamp.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was able to come to some peace
and center myself back then, but it took a dark night of the soul and a lot of
soul searching to break the habit of going for the gold.<span> </span>But that is a different story.<span> </span>I can tell you today, I am much more aware of
when I slip off center and have many strategies to help get myself back to
listening to my deepest, truest self.<span> </span>I
encourage you to make time to stop and attend to what your body, mind, soul is
telling you, especially when the outside world is telling you to go for the gold,
to go buy a sexy cheeseburger, or that you, your finances, your parenting, your
work, is not okay.<span> </span>Realize your center
will see you through, if you stay attuned to it, connected to it, even if there
is a lot of stress, even if you don’t agree with the direction of the
government in Tallahassee, even if you have debt.<span> </span>There will always be things you have to deal
with, just don’t let those things cause you significant harm or get you too far
off center.<span> </span>There is wisdom within you
if you just listen.<span> </span>There is peace
within you if you open yourself to it.<span>
</span>There is love within you, always within you.<span> </span></span></p>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">May you be filled with lovingkindness; may you
be well.<span> </span>May you be at peace.<span> </span>And may you be whole.<span> </span>Amen, blessed be, Ashai, Shalom.</span></span><p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-33908332918395327482023-05-11T13:06:00.001-07:002023-05-11T13:06:17.959-07:00On Finding Our Center by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 1/15/2023<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WV0_ldcVIZbHZ-_gWi0F11moOuZrIIu0arbYHuRPgOik6RDzeM0sg9K7Dd_0b4gUIYHyCIzL_HvFZoOuVd4HDaCGpdF2dT5aT5HGVHDse6xS5MPxBVaK2HwCgvdHJxE463a3oMWwvVvICxE4kEnysUM0APgk2ak8eKcO7svrok4b2zUruPu-DRIznQ/s624/on%20finding%20our%20center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WV0_ldcVIZbHZ-_gWi0F11moOuZrIIu0arbYHuRPgOik6RDzeM0sg9K7Dd_0b4gUIYHyCIzL_HvFZoOuVd4HDaCGpdF2dT5aT5HGVHDse6xS5MPxBVaK2HwCgvdHJxE463a3oMWwvVvICxE4kEnysUM0APgk2ak8eKcO7svrok4b2zUruPu-DRIznQ/w640-h360/on%20finding%20our%20center.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">I have learned a little about
myself as I have traveled this life.<span> </span>One
of the important lessons I have learned is that if I don’t set something, even
an important something, as a priority and carve out specific time just
especially for it, I will get distracted and will not make time for it in my
life.<span> </span>Does that resonate with you?
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"> Back when I was new to ministry, serving Peoples Church
Unitarian Universalist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I felt something stirring in my
heart and soul.<span> </span>I wasn’t clear what it
was and I was prepared to ignore that restlessness, and just keep doing what I
was doing.<span> </span>That would have been
easy.<span> </span>But I was also aware that
stirrings if ignored might leak out sideways—in some reactive, perhaps even
destructive way.<span> </span>I knew that left to my
own druthers, I would just keep my routine, so I signed up for a Spiritual Direction
group with other clergy that was being led by a nun at a local retreat
center.<span> </span>Being in a group would hold me
accountable in my personal growth, give me focus, and most important, since I
paid for this experience, I would make myself attend every week.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now I had heard about Spiritual
Direction, but had not been in individual or group Spiritual Direction.<span> </span>My understanding was that the time in the
group would be spent with someone sharing something they were struggling with. <span> </span>Then the group members would offer thoughts or
questions to assist the person who shared.<span>
</span>The members weren’t supposed offer advice.<span> </span>What they were supposed to do was listen for
what touched them in what the person shared and offer a question that might
deepen the person’s reflection.<span>
</span>Questions like, “I wonder if you have felt this way before.”<span> </span>“I noticed that you almost came to tears as
you were talking about – whatever it was that the person was talking about.”
“Why does this problem feel too big for a solution?”<span> </span>“Do you feel that this situation in your life
needs light, but that darkness is mysteriously beckoning you?”<span> </span>I realized that whatever was going on within
me probably had a solution and yet while I wanted insight, light if you will, I
was finding myself being beckoned by darkness.<span>
</span>Counterintuitively, for me that meant going deeper into some dark places
to uncover the light within and I wasn’t clear on how to do that myself.<span> </span>I knew it meant I needed silence, reflection,
and questions that I was not as of yet asking myself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">How often have you taken a
significant amount of time to be silent, to listen to the voice within, and
then give voice to your life stories, to your heart felt yearnings, time to
attend to where your god or the great whatever is messing with you, or to
explore those places within that don’t feel whole?<span> </span>How often have you carved out a chunk of time
to reflect on the larger meaning of your experiences or the purpose of your
life?<span> </span>How often have you given yourself
the gift of time to sit alone or in a group of people with different beliefs
who are there to support and help you as you look within?<span> </span>I have talked with many people within and
outside of Unitarian Universalist congregations, and time and again, when they
realize that I am clergy, I hear from them a yearning for an opportunity to
look within in a safe, accepting, supportive environment.<span> </span>Do you feel that yearning to look
within?<span> </span>To explore what is stirring or
troubling your heart or spirit? To find your center?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, as I entered the retreat
center, which I had been to many times, I noticed that a couple of people were
at the back of the main hall beside a door.<span>
</span>I went over and asked them if they were there for the Spiritual Direction
group.<span> </span>One elderly man said yes, and
introduced himself.<span> </span>He was a chaplain at
a local hospital.<span> </span>And the other person
was a middle-aged woman who was the pastor of a local Episcopal church.<span> </span>They both had been part of this group for
some time.<span> </span>They told me some of the
basic rules.<span> </span>Take off your shoes before
entering the space for the group.<span> </span>The
space was a small room with floor to ceiling windows, very comfortable chairs
and a small table in the center.<span> </span>They
told me that we were asked to be silent upon entering and to respect the silence
until asked to share.<span> </span>I held back
entering, not wanting to silent any longer than I had to be.<span> </span>As I was taking off my shoes, a small very
elderly woman approached, she was the nun who would be leading the group.<span> </span>She said hello and we greeted one another,
then she took off her shoes and entered the room.<span> </span>I followed her in.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">As the group started, she lit a
candle, offering a centering prayer.<span> </span>A
Centering Prayer is a method of meditation used by Christians placing a strong
emphasis on the intention to be open to the presence and action of the Divine,
spirit, the holy, or your deepest self or center.<span> </span>It starts with a few words or simple prayer,
then silence.<span> </span>It reminded me very much
of the Zen practice of Zazen meditation.<span>
</span>Sitting in silence and letting whatever is going on in your heart, mind,
spirit pass freely within you, being open to whatever you might experience,
without expectation of whatever particular wisdom, enlightenment, connection
you might be given or experience. The word she offered for this centering
prayer was “grace”.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, “grace” was a mixed bag for
me.<span> </span>Growing up Catholic, it had always
meant the spontaneous, unmerited gift of the divine favor in the salvation of
sinners.<span> </span>And while that jumped into my
mind, I know that this meaning no longer held any significance for me.<span> </span>As I softened into the word, the meaning I
hold now for grace gradually filled my mind, heart and spirit: unearned love,
freely given to oneself and freely given to and accepted from others.<span> </span>In other words, by our very existence, as
part of creation, we are worthy of love, self-love and love from others and
everyone else is deserving of love, and I feel called to give that love to
them.<span> </span>As I settled on this word, I felt
the warmth it offered, the calmness and comfort within me growing, and the
peace I needed as the many, many minutes of silence progressed.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wonder, when we practiced the
Lectio Divina earlier, if there was a word or phrase that you held onto for a
little while, that offered you some warmth, calmness, comfort, peace, or that
beckoned you forward into something new, some new awareness, some new insight,
something that you will take forward beyond this hour together.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">After the silence, the nun gave us
some further direction.<span> </span>She said that
each week one or two of us would be given time to share a pickle or stirring
with the group.<span> </span>I don’t remember if she
actually used the word pickle but that word keeps popping up for me when I
think about what she said.<span> </span>After the
sharing, there would be silence. Then the group would offer questions.<span> </span>Then silence.<span>
</span>Then personal reflections.<span> </span>Then
silence.<span> </span>Then we would close the
group.<span> </span>To me that was an awful lot of
silence.<span> </span>But I guess finding my center
and gaining some wisdom or insight would be worth it, so I embraced the
process.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">So as is the case for most of my
life in circumstances, when a volunteer was asked for, I volunteered
first.<span> </span>I wasn’t exactly sure what to
share.<span> </span>I just knew something was going
on inside me that I couldn’t ignore, and so I said exactly that.<span> </span>I don’t know how articulate I was, or if I
made any sense.<span> </span>I explained that I was
pretty sure it had to do with my ministry and how I should live it out in the
world. I felt I had accomplished a monumental task in helping the congregation
move from one church home to another; I also felt I had made a significant
difference in social action and social justice in the community; but I also
felt an unease or like I might be drifting off center, and I wasn’t sure why.<span> </span>That was it; I was finished,<span> </span>we headed back into silence.<span> </span>I surely didn’t know what questions they
might offer that might help me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will share with you that the
questions they asked and the contemplation I experienced did in fact help me
discern some new direction.<span> </span>And I have
come to believe that the practices of contemplative prayers/mediation and
Spiritual Direction, are both about inner balance/insight and action, and that
being able to balance my inner self with my outer actions.<span> </span>In the ancient Heretical Christian writing,
the Gospel of Thomas, it is written: “If you bring forth what is within you,
what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within
you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”<span> </span>This quote has become of a touchstone for me
since I have continued contemplative spiritual practices.<span> </span>I know that if I don’t stop and make time to
find what is going on inside me so I can find balance internally and between my
inside and the outside world, there will be some negative consequences—stress,
discomfort, reactiveness.<span> </span>I do not want
that if I can avoid negative consequences.<span>
</span>And the reality is I can pretty much avoid it by carving time out of my
life to be more centered.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I am
talking with you about finding your center not only because it is important for
you personally to find your center, but that this congregation also has to find
its center.<span> </span>Some of the tasks of my
Developmental Ministry here is to help you discern who you are as a congregation,
what is your mission/mission and what is your covenant with one another.<span> </span>I am also here to help you discern who you
want as your next minister.<span> </span>For this
discernment process to be fruitful, each of you must ask questions, listen to
answers that bubble up, and give each other mental and emotional space to live
into the truths that you have discerned.<span>
</span>At times, this may not be any easy process, but I guarantee that you
will find your center, gain some insight, and it will be worth it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let me offer you one more centering
meditation to close this sermon.<span> </span>Sit
comfortably. Put your hands in your lap.<span>
</span>Take a deep breath. Bring your attention to your hands?<span> </span>What is your immediate reaction to your
hands.<span> </span>Look at them front and back.<span> </span>Put them in different positions.<span> </span>Hold them up.<span>
</span>Put them back in your lap.<span> </span>Hold
them away from you.<span> </span>Close them.<span> </span>Open them.<span>
</span>Bring them together with intertwined fingers.<span> </span>Take them apart.<span> </span>Tickle your palms.<span> </span>Feel that.<span>
</span>Contemplate what your hands have done for you.<span> </span>Contemplate how you have used them to make
the world a better place for yourself, for those you love, for those who come
into your life, even for just a little while.<span>
</span>Be thankful for your hands.<span> </span>Cup
your hands.<span> </span>Imagine this cup holds your
truth, your understanding of yourself and others in the world.<span> </span>Imagine it holds the grace you offer
others.<span> </span>Contemplate how your hands are
blessed.<span> </span>Contemplate how your hands will
bless. Contemplate how your hands are open for more truth and more
understanding. Contemplate how your hands and the hands of others in this
community are open to more truth and understanding, more service, and more
love.<span> </span>You are blessed; we are blessed;
let us bless the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">My friends finding your center
takes time.<span> </span>I invite you to carve out
time in your busy lives for some contemplative meditation or prayer, and set
attending to your center as a priority in your life.<span> </span>Notice the blessings that this offers
you.<span> </span>This is your sacred journey to
discover, to learn, and perhaps even to tell us about.<span> </span></span></p>
<p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-47267359972346972382022-12-05T10:37:00.003-08:002022-12-05T10:37:58.444-08:00Wonders Ordinary and Extraordinary by Reverend Tom Capo, preached on 12/4/2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7xCFXoITrP6m_B-01a6hnZU7MNlO9DzWNSA-wVd29M_BhtACvO1K3e97c-PPMOK2_aaQgUQyTZEAt1tUJiNs0BoC1viIt7MXZ2ozFgoTzaamzMiHkBIMUr3ckWo8zZUWzHwYovzm98YG9R7Rrqm5Vwk-scG6wgY-WPbXNQUEZ2Kg48TxTaixYu7Waw/s1080/UUM-12.4-Wonders-Ordinary-and-Extraordinary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7xCFXoITrP6m_B-01a6hnZU7MNlO9DzWNSA-wVd29M_BhtACvO1K3e97c-PPMOK2_aaQgUQyTZEAt1tUJiNs0BoC1viIt7MXZ2ozFgoTzaamzMiHkBIMUr3ckWo8zZUWzHwYovzm98YG9R7Rrqm5Vwk-scG6wgY-WPbXNQUEZ2Kg48TxTaixYu7Waw/w640-h640/UUM-12.4-Wonders-Ordinary-and-Extraordinary.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="376">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Link"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">(After a mindfulness eating exercise
with a strawberry, I begin)</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">What I wonder is what is wonder.
The word has many definitions and I would guess means different things to
different people.<span> </span>As we explore wonder
today take a few seconds to choose which definition you will ground yourself
in.<span> </span>The definition I’m using for myself
today—and this may or may not be change on other days are these: wonder is curiosity—“a
strong desire to learn more” (Oxford Dictionary), wonder is mystery—“ something
that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain” (Oxford Dictionary)
and wonder is awe-- “…the feeling we get in the presence of something vast that
challenges our understanding of the world.” (researchers at Berkley
University’s definition).<span> </span>Maybe these
definitions, or metaphors, will work for you too as we explore wonder together.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Elizabeth
Barrett Browning wrote: “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush
afire with God. But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round it
and pluck blackberries.”<span> </span>When I was
young, around 2nd grade and 3rd grade, I remember being amazed by everything.<span> </span>Every bush, creature, place, and person.<span> </span>I wondered about how they each came to
be.<span> </span>If it was a plant I wondered how it
tasted, if it was poisonous or dangerous.<span>
</span>If it was an object I wondered how heavy/light it was; what I could do
with it.<span> </span>As a child, I approached most
everything as a mystery; I held many things in awe.<span> </span>Wonder was central to my life.<span> </span>Wonder did at times get me in some trouble,
like when I tried to lift up an alligator snapping turtle to get a better look
at it and to find out how heavy it was.<span>
</span>As I did its the snapping head reached all the way around to its tail
nearly snapping my hand off.<span> </span>But most
often my wonderings were not so dangerous.<span>
</span>I wondered about books and developed a passion for reading Science
Fiction/Fantasy books that were bursting with words that inspired awe,
curiosity, and mystery.<span> </span>I wondered how
authors could write such captivating tales.<span>
</span>I felt that “Earth was crammed with heaven” if I just stopped long
enough to fully engage with it.<span> </span>I
approached each experience with reverence and awe, not as a mystery to be
solved, but as a mystery to be explored and savored.<span> </span>I spent days wondering as I wandered in cow
pastures, libraries, my backyard, my neighborhood often alone, not lonely, just
alone.<span> </span>I realize this is not something
most of us would allow our children to do today, worried about their safety,
and rightfully so, but I have to say I believe our children are missing out a
little bit, not freely experiencing and wondering about the world around them.
I also spent time up in a willow tree in my front yard watching people; I
guessed they couldn’t see me, so I was free to watch and wonder about what they
were doing, where they were going, how they moved; I was immersed, in the
moment with them.<span> </span>I was full of
curiosity, and everything was mysterious and awe-inspiring.<span> </span>This was a discrete period of my life.<span> </span>Eventually, I began being more interested in
playing games, spending time with friends, and school took more of my
attention.<span> </span>I wanted to learn how things
worked, and so I listened to what teachers and priests were saying.<span> </span>I think my wonder became more directed, more
goal-oriented, more about finding answers rather than sensually and reverently
experiencing the world.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>When was
the last time when you wondered, not so much in regard to finding answers, but
simply to fully experience an object, a person, art or music, to let it/them
touch you emotionally, spiritually, physically; to put aside what you know from
books or experience and be completely curious about it/them; and “to see and
take off your shoes” treating the experience/person/object as if it inhabits
holy ground? </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Often we are too busy, too into our
habits, and if we have time, we want to fill it with something new, innovative,
mind-blowing, or at least something that tastes, smells, feels, sounds
good.<span> </span>I understand, I do that too, much
of the time.<span> </span>I mean Martha and I don’t
watch any movie that doesn’t have a 5.0 or higher on IMDB—if you want to know
what that means you can ask me later—because we don’t want to give our time to
something that will likely be of poor value.<span>
</span>I often choose food or drink that positively stimulates my taste buds
and nose in ways that are familiar, comforting, so I tend to consume things
that I already have some positive experience with.<span> </span>I tend not to explore dishes at restaurants
after I have found what I like—I just keep having what I know.<span> </span>It’s a known quantity.<span> </span>I don’t have time to waste on fully immersing
myself in what this experience, food, place might be able to offer. I don’t
stop to wonder.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>And while
this is my eating habit, I have been fortunate to have had some experiences
that dislodged me from some of my habits, experiences that have thrust me into
wonder.<span> </span>I have come to realize that I
cling to what I know.<span> </span>I’ve forgotten how
to approach any experience with curiosity, awe, and mystery.<span> </span>I have forgotten that I can experience so
much more in that moment, in that person, in that object if I take the time to
wonder about them.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Once long
ago, I was a counselor in an Eating Disorders Inpatient Treatment Program.<span> </span>I worked with people who were diagnosed with
anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive eating disorders.<span> </span>For the most part I ran educational classes
and offered individual, family and group therapy.<span> </span>I had been teaching the patients about
mindful eating.<span> </span>But as a counselor, I
didn’t eat with them, that was the job of a nurse or mental health
technician.<span> </span>One day, the nurse and tech
were not available, so I went down with the patients so that staff would be
present when they ate.<span> </span>I decided that if
I was asking them to mindfully eat, perhaps I should as well.<span> </span>I approached my food with curiosity and
mystery, ready to learn something from the experience, just as I invited you to
do with the strawberry today.<span> </span>It was an
awesome and I would even say holy experience.<span>
</span>I opened myself up to my senses and my feelings, again as I had asked my
patients to do.<span> </span>Can you image
approaching a hamburger or ice cream as if it was something you had never had
before?<span> </span>As I might have approached it
back when I was a child.<span> </span>Can you imagine
noticing while eating mindfully and slowly that you experience each taste bud
activating in succession, from sweet to sour to bitter?<span> </span>Chocolate is not just one flavor sensation
but many.<span> </span>After mindfully eating
chocolate, I was reminded of how the Maya and Aztec regarded chocolate as a
life-giving force that empowered human blood. Its consumption was therefore a
kind of sacrament, which gave life to the reverant consumer.<span> </span>When I mindfully eat chocolate-- understand I
don’t do that very often—I open myself fully to my senses, as well as to
curiosity, to awe and mystery, and I wonder “Should I take off my shoes.” </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I want to
share a little more from Fabiana Fondevila’s article “Where Wonder Lives”:<span> </span>[Often our] first reaction [to awe and
wonder], is [reflected in] what happens to our breath, [which] to me seems very
telling.<span> </span>You know, when you see the
night sky, a very majestic night sky or a mountain or a storm or sunset—I’m
naming natural phenomena, but it doesn’t have to be nature, it could also be a
piece of music or art, or a very supremely kind act, that you consider, that
you feel is so huge and encompassing that you can’t take it in—what you do
instinctively is you hold your breath for a moment, right?...And that gives us
a bit of a clue as to what’s happening.<span>
</span>And here I’m citing researchers…Dacher Keltner and Lani Shiota and other
awe researchers—they’ve found that what awe does when we experience it is it
submerges us in the present.<span> </span>For that
time, however long it lasts, there’s no past, no future.<span> </span>You’re not worried about anything.<span> </span>You’re not remembering anything.<span> </span>You’re there completely at one with what is
happening.<span> </span>So this suspension of breath
seems to me first of all—and maybe this is just symbolic, or an intuition of
mine, I haven’t read that anywhere, but it’s as if you want to make room for it
and there’s not enough room for it in your chest so you take in this big gulp
of air—which is also related to the word “inspiration,” and that’s no small
association—and then you hold it for a moment as everything stands still.”</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I remember
feeling that when I was young and life was full of awe and wonder.<span> </span>When there was a suspension of time and
breath, a time when even the experience of a strawberry was too big to fit in
my chest.<span> </span>Nowadays, I have to stop and
make time to be open for those wonderful experiences.<span> </span>So I make time on occasion to eat mindfully,
to look at a sunrise mindfully, to read a passage in a book mindfully or look
at a piece of art mindfully, or listen music mindfully.<span> </span>Not expecting that I will be moved, not in
the expectation that I will experience awe or wonder, but with a willingness to
be open to what lies in the moment.<span>
</span>Making time for mindful awareness.<span>
</span>And when I feel that wonder, that curiosity of spirit, in the midst of
awe and mystery, for a moment—or, if I’m lucky, for several moments, there is
no “ordinary”, and anything and everything is extraordinary.</span></p>
<p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-69478657838555259932022-11-08T14:11:00.002-08:002022-11-08T14:11:13.701-08:00The Quiet Seeds of Change Calling Us to a New Self by Reverend Tom Capo, preached on 11/6/2022<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="376">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Link"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
</style>
<![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDj2bBwx9qHowctZtJbSfaij6z1nMKzyCmtTfWoo0WgnTEpoI6Hym--nx0mCDkkiGak3DWzTfq1_pLFcDNlrqy6IYisE404OPq6yxxAAluHZ6R3SzhqngSnSNRTmhZp_IvMJxvmYf8LTOI-AmPpPOK3H7ZQOarUgQVlbM-LCxBUiAAj0PIvkZSAveuA/s1640/UUM%2011.6%20IG%20The%20Seeds%20of%20Change%20Calling%20New%20Self.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDj2bBwx9qHowctZtJbSfaij6z1nMKzyCmtTfWoo0WgnTEpoI6Hym--nx0mCDkkiGak3DWzTfq1_pLFcDNlrqy6IYisE404OPq6yxxAAluHZ6R3SzhqngSnSNRTmhZp_IvMJxvmYf8LTOI-AmPpPOK3H7ZQOarUgQVlbM-LCxBUiAAj0PIvkZSAveuA/w640-h360/UUM%2011.6%20IG%20The%20Seeds%20of%20Change%20Calling%20New%20Self.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;">Do you make time to listen for that still small voice inside you? The voice that invites you to be make a change, to strive a little more; the voice that urges you to more authenticity, that invites you into transformation? I believe we all have such inner stirrings—that give voice to the seeds of change wanting to burst forth and grow in and through us. I asked you during the meditation to draw or write about that inner voice, considering when you hear it, how you hear it, how you respond to it. Is it a voice that calls you to an evolution, to a revolution of the way you live and move and have your being on this earth? Does it ask you to say “yes” to life, to truth, to love? What’s your response to that?</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"> For the most part, for most of us, life can be very
habitual, routine.<span> </span>And for some, perhaps
many of us, this is a comfortable way to move through life.<span> </span>This routine can offer times of joy and
happiness, not unlike the creature on the island of Habit that we learned about
earlier in the service (<i>The Creature of Habit by Jennifer E. Smith</i>).<span> </span>I am certain
that some of us didn’t see anything problematic with the creature’s life.<span> </span>Eating food he liked, going where he liked,
talking to creatures and plants he knew and liked.<span> </span>A life with no changes or surprises.<span> </span>And no disturbances. Until a new creature wandered
upon his island.<span> </span>At first, there was a
little happiness as the creature of Habit got to know this new creature.<span> </span>Then, over time, this new creature disrupted
things too much, causing the creature of Habit confusion, discomfort and
distaste—he found he didn’t like oranges.<span>
</span>And he really didn’t like a complete lack of routine.<span> </span>However, by the end of the story, the
creature of Habit had found some joy in new-found ways of doing things with
this new creature.<span> </span>What did you think
about this story?<span> </span>Did it resonate with
some feelings you might experience when seeds of change make themselves known
to you?<span> </span>Did you empathize with the
creature of Habit when the new creature entered the island?<span> </span>What value judgments can you make about life
before the new creature’s arrival verses after its arrival?<span> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"></span>
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;">I
can tell you for much of my life, I loved habit, routine, knowing what to
expect.<span> </span>Going back about 25 years, I had
completed graduate school and was working as a psychotherapist in a practice in
Houston.<span> </span>I had friends and family around
me and I spent time with them on a routine basis.<span> </span>I could predict with a high degree of
accuracy what was likely to happen almost every day of the week.<span> </span>I was happy as a crab under a rock.<span> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span> </span>Then came that pesky inner voice calling me to
transformation.<span> </span>I was the chair of the
Worship Committee at Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church in Clear Lade,
Texas.<span> </span>One Friday night I received a
call from the president of the congregation.<span>
</span>He said that I would need to come up with something for Sunday’s service
because the minister would not be preaching.<span>
</span>I asked “Why?”.<span> </span>He said the
minister had done something unethical and would no longer be serving our church
effective immediately. In fact he would be stripped of his Ministerial
Fellowship credentials by the Unitarian Universalist Association and his counseling credentials by the state
of Texas.<span> </span>After the phone call, I
reflected on what the president told me.<span>
</span>That minister, who had been a friend of mine, would not longer be able
to follow his vocation or his career.<span> </span>He
had lost what had been most meaningful to him.<span>
</span>A prompt, a question crossed my mind, “What if I suddenly lost
everything.<span> </span>Have I left anything undone?”<span> </span>With that question, the voice within me
roared to life, saying “Yes you have; you are called to ministry.”<span> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span> </span><span> </span>Sometimes that inner
voice comes unbidden, when taking a shower, cutting up cabbage or cleaning the
windows.<span> </span>Sometimes that inner voice can
come as a response when you are exposed to something or someone.<span> </span>Some thing that cracks you open--like a
sunrise, a painting, a piece of music.<span>
</span>Or someone who has a different worldview or who is radically authentic,
loud, and proud and engaged with being the change they seek in the world, and
suddenly it is hard for you to see the world the same way you used to.<span> </span>Hard for you to be in the world the same way
you used to be.<span> </span>Sometimes that inner
voice rises up when we set aside time, with an open heart, mind, spirit, and
without expectations, by using meditation, prayer, ritual, or contemplative
correspondence/writing.<span> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span> </span>Whether you believe that inner voice is your unconscious,
your connection with the universe, spirit, soul, deepest self, god or
goddess?<span> </span>What happens when you hear
it?<span> </span>How do you respond or react?<span> </span>Are you surprised, scared, overwhelmed, dismissive?<span> </span><span> </span>Do you
tense up, pull back, clench your jaw?<span> </span>How
is <span> </span>that inner voice embodied in you?<span> </span>Is it centered in your stomach, head, neck
back?<span> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span> </span>When the seeds of change called me to ministry, I felt surprised,
anxious, overwhelmed, resistant, as well as joyful, ready, and willing.<span> </span>I felt that call in my head, in my
thoughts.<span> </span>I thought everything from “no,
I can’t” to “yes, I must” all at the same time.<span>
</span>With all the paradoxical feelings and thoughts, I was mentally and
spiritually troubled and jumbled, less reflective and more reactive. <span> </span>I went through a dark night of the soul that I
couldn’t control.<span> </span>My connection to my
habitual life seemed far away. <span> </span>Was that
good or bad?<span> </span>I was unable to make that
judgement.<span> </span>To say I was surprised is a
vast understatement.<span> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span> </span>Unitarian Universalist minister, Reverend Karen Hering,
invites us to consider a surprise, such as one that might come when we hear
that inner voice, in a particular way.<span>
</span>She says: “If you notice constriction or repulsion or attraction to a
surprise, it isn’t either bad or good.<span>
</span>It’s just an observation.<span> </span>Imagine
your observed response as if it were a package you’ve been given that you are
setting aside for later.<span> </span>You can go back
to opening it and actually feeling it later.<span>
</span>But by pausing to observe without judgement for a few moments, you can
experiment with curiosity and simply explore [the surprise] instead…[you might
ask yourself] What does [this surprise] involve that you didn’t notice or know
right away?<span> </span>What are some possible
choices it offers, including some that might seem absurd?<span> </span>What do you learn by naming these options
side by side?<span> </span>What might be your next
response, one that perhaps has been lying in wait, ready to emerge given a chance?”</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span> </span>How do you evaluate the calling from the seeds of change
within you?<span> </span>How do you decide whether to
say yes or no to the invitation to break open the seed, grow, bloom and
blossom?<span> </span>I can speak for myself and tell
you that my call to ministry has been fulfilling in more ways than I can
count.<span> </span>It hasn’t always been an easy
path, nor has it been without cost—mostly costing my routine habitual life.<span> </span>But it has been worth it.<span> </span>I feel more authentically engaged with who I
am, and who I am becoming.<span> </span>And I am more
willing to listen, evaluate and respond to the inner voice within.<span> </span>I don’t always say yes to that inner voice,
but I do listen when it rises up, knowing that it often offers wisdom, opportunities,
and direction that can help me be radically myself, loud and proud as I embody
the change I seek in the world.<span> </span>What it
doesn’t offer is habit.<span> </span>And while I
sometime miss being a creature of Habit, I wouldn’t change my transformed life
with all of its novelty, intersections, diversity, and interesting different
wonderful people.<span> </span>And so today and every
day, I listen for the next seeds of change that will call me.<span> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;">There
are seeds of change within all of us. I invite you, no, I encourage you to
listen for the seeds of possibility that your inner voice offers.<span> </span>Then invite them into your life with
curiosity.<span> </span>Let yourself explore where
they might take you.<span> </span>And be open to some
surprises, even if they mean that things are going to change.</span></span></p>
<p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-57671803001692075132022-10-25T13:25:00.000-07:002022-10-25T13:25:36.268-07:00“Affirm and Promote the Democratic Process” by Rev. Tom Capo preached on 10/23/2022<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="376">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Link"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRj9JorKYk5r7bISh42hNTGLzLtk3HpbFoRLn8JTV3qME5pstWnFoaO6SIocRCt4emVnl1b27RBiIh23Oob3CAdF11TMh7qGF0NnsE4KuBPGi9zz21ENuNgaEdeF4nnD5S7QP0rOo6Wmt15rDaPVzps3-sH6-afDF3fBLk3L_1vjQMEJQ29o1t0H1eA/s1640/UUM-10.23-Affirm-Promote-the-Democratic-Process.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRj9JorKYk5r7bISh42hNTGLzLtk3HpbFoRLn8JTV3qME5pstWnFoaO6SIocRCt4emVnl1b27RBiIh23Oob3CAdF11TMh7qGF0NnsE4KuBPGi9zz21ENuNgaEdeF4nnD5S7QP0rOo6Wmt15rDaPVzps3-sH6-afDF3fBLk3L_1vjQMEJQ29o1t0H1eA/w400-h225/UUM-10.23-Affirm-Promote-the-Democratic-Process.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">During many of the past electoral
seasons, I have pulled out Parker Palmer’s “Healing the Heart of Democracy” to
read the passage you heard this morning.<span>
</span>In particular I reflect on these words: “Looking at politics through the
eye of the heart can liberate us from seeing it as a chess game of moves and
countermoves or a shell game for seizing power or a blame game of whack-a-mole.
Rightly understood, politics is no game at all. It is the ancient and honorable
human endeavor of creating a community in which the weak as well as the strong
can flourish [and so too can] love…<span> </span>And
[where] power can collaborate, and justice and mercy can have their day.<span> </span>‘We the people’ must build a political life
rooted in the commonwealth of compassion and creativity [that is] still found
among us, becoming a civic community sufficiently united to know our own will
and hold those who govern accountable to it.”
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>While these
words give me hope and affirm within me what a heart-centered democratic
process might look and feel like, I still struggle with the changes going on in
our various governmental bodies these days.<span>
</span>Wednesday evening a few of us from UU Miami went to the Miami Dade
School Board meeting again. Because being part of a democratic process means
you keep showing up as an active participant. As we drove to the meeting Carol
Klopfer said that she didn’t remember the school board ever being political before.<span> </span>Martha Harrison agreed with her.<span> </span>If anything, the meetings were boring and
fairly perfunctory, doing the work that needed to done to run the school
district effectively.<span> </span>During the
meeting, I and others continued to speak about the School Board’s upsetting
vote against setting aside October as LGBTQ History month. Even though the vote
was already a done deal, many of us attended Wednesday night so that our voices
could be heard.<span> </span>Last month’s meeting of
the Board when the vote was taken was overrun with boisterous, conspiracy
driven, homophobic rants.<span> </span>When it was my
turn to speak, I voiced empathy for the Board, and I shared that I too felt
some fear last month.<span> </span>Then I asked them
to vote next year when the same issue would come up not based on shouting
voices or fear, but to be guided by what is best for the children and youth,
and do their homework in this current school year—monitor the bullying,
prejudicial speech, or hate crimes in our schools that may follow in the wake
of last month’s vote.<span> </span>Many people told
the Board that they would be holding them accountable for their decision last
month.<span> </span>Many of the speakers educated us
about LGBTQ history—we heard about the first openly gay person in our nation to
be elected to public office-- Harvey Milk.<span>
</span>The brilliant work of World War II Codebreaker Alan Turing was brought
to the attention of the School Board, as well as about Anita Bryant and her
fight to oppose the rights of the LGBTQ community in Miami.<span> </span>At the end of the night, the Board thanked all
the speakers for being civil and calm during the meeting.<span> </span>I left that meeting proud of the many
speakers who did not simply walk away from last month’s meeting.<span> </span>I was proud of us because we did not
quit.<span> </span>Being part of a democratic process
means you keep showing up as an active participant.<span> </span>Last Wednesday night, “We the people” decided
that we would use compassion and common sense to hold those who govern
accountable and those who govern listened. Will we see the fruits of our labor
this school year? <span> </span>No, but we’ve laid
down the seeds of a better crop for next year.<span>
</span>And we will keep coming back to tend them.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>About 6
years ago, the church I was serving, DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church
rented the building out to a group called “Friends Who March”, a local activist
group that formed after the Woman’s March in Chicago.<span> </span>They wanted to hold an Activist Expo.<span> </span>Members of the church had a table at this
Expo—marketing their internship program for disadvantaged and discriminated
against youth.<span> </span>There were 41 groups that
had tables—some of which were Planned Parenthood, Handmaidens, PFLAG,
Indivisible, Moms Demand Action, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Bisexual
and Queer Alliance.<span> </span>The program started
at 1 PM and was going very well.<span> </span>People
from all around the area came, wanting to learn about and support the various
organizations.<span> </span>After an hour or so, the
leader of Friends Who March came up to me and said there were people there who
were disrupting the event and wouldn’t leave.<span>
</span>She told them to go, but they wouldn’t listen to her.<span> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I was
confronted by a man who said, “I am an activist; I shouldn’t have to
leave.<span> </span>I am advocating for life. I won’t
let babies be killed.”<span> </span>By the last part
of his statement, he was shouting.<span> </span>And
his wife had joined in the fray.<span> </span>In a
calm, but assertive, tone I told him, “You need to leave.<span> </span>If you don’t leave, I will call the
police.”<span> </span>His wife started shouting that
she didn’t want anyone to kill the baby in her body, and he started yelling I
was helping kill babies.<span> </span>I just
repeated “You need to leave.<span> </span>If you
don’t leave, I will call the police.”<span> </span>As
I walked them out of the building.<span> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>They sat in
their car for a little while until some of their supporters joined them, then
they were back in front of the building—shouting and waving graphic posters and
signs.<span> </span>The police were called.<span> </span>The police stayed with us for much of the rest
of the afternoon, setting boundaries with the protesters.<span> </span>I learned from the police that prosecuting
these types of protesters is pretty much impossible.<span> </span>The right of free speech extends to us
all.<span> </span>The rest of the afternoon, the
protesters verbally harassed anyone who came to the Expo.<span> </span>At the end of the event, we asked each of the
groups if they felt safe as they were leaving, providing escort for those who
did not.<span> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I tell you
about my experience because it taught me to remain calm, see how calm I look in
this picture-- in divisive and hostile situations—and if that doesn’t describe
our present democratic process right now, I don’t know what does.<span> </span>I have also learned that while I might
project calmness, inside I am sometimes scared and angry, sometimes really
scared and really angry.<span> </span>My emotions can
and do rise to a level that sometimes threatens to overtake me.<span> </span>When this happens I feel spasms in my back,
and that day at DuPage UU Church, boy was it spasming.<span> </span>Standing up for my values and our Unitarian
Universalist Principles can be challenging and feel dangerous, and right now we
are called to stand up for the democratic process in this divided country.<span> </span>I have come to trust that prophetic wisdom
can ground me as I work to make the world a more equitable place for everyone.
And I trust that pastoral wisdom will ground me so I don’t end up physically or
emotionally incapacitated.<span> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I have a
printed copy of this quote by Martin Niemöller (Nee moe ler) in my office. You
probably have heard it before:</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">First they came for the Jews</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">and I did not speak out</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">because I was not a Jew.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Then they came for the Communists</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">and I did not speak out</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">because I was not a Communist.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Then they came for the trade unionists</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">and I did not speak out</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">because I was not a trade unionist.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Then they came for me</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">and there was no one left</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">to speak out for me.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Niemöller (Nee moe ler) was a German anti-Nazi theologian
and Lutheran pastor.<span> </span>He became famous
for this quote.<span> </span>It gives me strength to
do the work of justice, especially I times like these.<span> </span>His words of wisdom give me courage to speak
truth to power.<span> </span>Keeping this quote on my
desk where I can see it daily helps me manage my anger and fear.<span> </span>If I don’t speak out, if I don’t use the
power and voice that I have, one marginalized group after another, one person
after another will be trampled on without repercussions. I will not stand for
that.<span> </span>What are the words or wisdom that
give you strength and courage to speak truth to power?<span> </span>Perhaps you can share them with me after the
service.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>For
pastoral wisdom, I often turn to the Buddha.<span>
</span>For instance, the Tibetan meditation we did today is one I have used to
ground myself in the pastoral.<span> </span>This
style of meditation includes holding intentions in my mind and heart while I
meditate, positive and healing intentions, held with lovingkindness.<span> </span>Removing what suffering I can from myself or
others, offering the intention of happiness, joy, and comfort for myself and to
all those into the world, even those who might be peddling hate, lies, and
conspiracy, helps ground me, calm me, fill me with lovingkindness and empathy.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>What
grounds you these days as you work to affirm and promote “The right of
conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and
in society at large.”<span> </span>What inspires
you?<span> </span>What helps you cope with the risks
you take as you do work the world needs?<span>
</span>What calms and centers you as you experience the pastoral feelings that
will undoubtedly rise up as you do this work? </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you all for sharing.<span>
</span>I end with this blessing written by Nancy C. Wood in 1974, which is
another that I turn to during these times of trouble.<span> </span>It reminds me of much of what I have said to
you today:</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Hold on to what is good</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">even if it is</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">a handful of earth.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Hold on to what you believe</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">even if it is</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">a tree which stands by itself.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Hold on to what you must do</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">even if it is</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">a long way from here.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Hold on to life even when</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">it is easier letting go.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Hold on to my hand even when</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I have gone away from you.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I feel your hands in mine when I am holding onto what I
believe, when I embody the work of justice, equity, and when I work to heal the
heart of our democracy.<span> </span>May you feel my
hand in yours as you do the same.<span>
</span>Namaste.</span></p>
<p></p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548800882193541538.post-80521643304589728632022-10-18T11:34:00.002-07:002022-10-18T11:34:57.078-07:00"Everyday Courage" by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 10/9/2022<p><b> </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIiIbEIl8XxsqsrBANBjSASD3SA4BYrW_oOQHoNUEB14Bb7TLkfPmDlhDd5aiEdP3KduX_7by6ETrhFCCINIYUeZvx4JN3OR0nuxIyrD8qNMQm-rsEPkZYqEijUonsS2-cU3HKLg0Cx3Zu7ho5ztvNOSWFIGE1WUv7Dcy6-FHB8qMhXu27qtlH-bTRg/s1640/everyday%20courage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIiIbEIl8XxsqsrBANBjSASD3SA4BYrW_oOQHoNUEB14Bb7TLkfPmDlhDd5aiEdP3KduX_7by6ETrhFCCINIYUeZvx4JN3OR0nuxIyrD8qNMQm-rsEPkZYqEijUonsS2-cU3HKLg0Cx3Zu7ho5ztvNOSWFIGE1WUv7Dcy6-FHB8qMhXu27qtlH-bTRg/w400-h225/everyday%20courage.png" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">A Story</span></b><p></p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="376">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Link"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"> Long ago and far away, there was a girl named Vasilisa.<span> </span>Sometimes she was called Vasilisa the
wise.<span> </span>She was never called Vasilisa the
sad, even though her mother died when she was just eight years old.<span> </span>Of course, she was sad about her mother’s
passing.<span> </span>But she had fond memories of
her, too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Before she
died, her mother called her daughter to her bedside and place a doll in
Vasilisa’s hands.<span> </span>It was one she had carved
especially for her.<span> </span>Vasilisa’s mother
said, “Take good care of this little doll and she will take good care of you.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Vasilisa
put the little doll in her pocket.<span> </span>On
the day her mother died, despite her tears she remembered to care for the
doll.<span> </span>She saved a few crumbs of cake
that day and, in the evening, brought them to bed with her, along with a sip of
tea.<span> </span>She placed her doll on her pillow,
gave her the treat, and sip of tea.<span> </span>She
told the doll her troubles, ending with a question, “Little doll, little doll,
what shall I do?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>It seemed
that the little doll’s eyes shone like fireflies.<span> </span>It was as though the doll spoke and said,
just as her mother had always said, “Do not be afraid, Vasilisa.<span> </span>Be comforted.<span>
</span>Say thy prayers and go to sleep.<span>
</span>The morning is wiser than the evening.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>And it was
true for Vasilisa as it is for me.<span>
</span>Things never seem as bad in the morning as they do in the evening.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Every day,
Vasilisa would save some bread or a few raisins and bring them, with a glass of
tea, to her bed.<span> </span>There she fed her doll
and told her all her troubles, ending with the question, “Little doll, little
doll, what shall I do?”<span> </span>(ask
congregation to say it with me)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Talking to
the doll like this always comforted Vaslisa and gave her courage.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Even when her father found a new mother for her, who wasn’t
her mother.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Even when the woman gave her the worst of all chores.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Even when this woman sent her to fetch a new flame for their
fire and Vasilisa had to walk all alone through the forest, with its creaking
trees and dark shadows.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Vasilisa
held her little doll tight to her chest and found strength.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Even when
she arrived in the forest clearing, at Baba Yaga’s hut, which stood on chicken
legs and was surrounded by a fence made of skulls and bones.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Even when
the horrid Baba Yaga appeared cackling, spitting, and scary as can be.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Even when
the horrid Baba Yaga told Vasilisa that if she wanted the flame her stepmother
had sent her to fetch, she was to do endless chores: cleaning the whole house
and the yard and making dinner too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>And even
more than that the horrid Baba Yaga demanded that, besides usual sorts of
chores, Vasilisa do impossible things like sorting the chaff form the wheat and
the dirt from the poppy seeds.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Baba Yaga
was unhappy that Vasilisa managed to do all the impossible tasks<span> </span><span>
</span>Yet Baba Yaga kept her promise and gave Vasilisa the flame her
stepmother wanted.<span> </span>She was only too
eager to do so, for she could tell that Vasilisa’ strength came from her
mother’s blessing and this was not something that Baba Yaga liked to be near.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>When
Vailisa left, she carried the new flame with her.<span> </span>It allowed her to see the forest with new
eyes.<span> </span>She realized it was not dangerous
and she was no longer afraid.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>When she
came out to the other side of the forest, she saw, by the that same light, that
her stepmother’s house was not Vasilisa’s home and never would be.<span> </span>She walked right past it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>She walked
on and on until at last she came to the home of another woman, one who welcomed
Vasilisa to live with her.<span> </span>This woman
encouraged her to care for the doll and taught her the skills she needed to
find fortune and happiness.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Still,
every day, Vasilisa saved some bread and a few raisins and brought them, with a
glass of tea, to her bed.<span> </span>There she fed
her doll.<span> </span>Now she had as many joys as
she had troubles to whisper to the doll.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sermon </b></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="376">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Link"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Someone recently said to me that
they felt I was brave for stepping out in front of the Miami/Dade School
District Board and speaking in favor of October being set aside for LGBTQ
History month.<span> </span>And while I was a little
concerned about, shall I say afraid of, some of the Proud Boys and Mothers for
Liberty there, I didn’t feel particularly brave at the time.<span> </span>I tend to think of courage in terms of some
of the routine activities of life rather taking a public stand or speaking
truth to power at large events.<span> </span>I think
of the courage it takes to learn to ride a bike for the first, second, and
third time, or the courage it took to ask my wife to marry me.<span> </span>As a kid I had to be courageous when my toes
were cut off by a lawnmower (not to worry they were sewn back on).<span> </span>As an adult I had to be courageous when I
decided to become a father, and be a better father to my kids than my father
was to me.<span> </span>These are the kinds of things
that required real courage from me, the events of life that required me to show
up for myself and do something that I was not sure I could do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>I am sure
that everyone here has had to be courageous at certain points in their life, in
certain situations, most times just in the normal routine of living.<span> </span>Think back on those times—listen with your
own ears and look with your own eyes—What do you hear? see?<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Each of us at least occasionally
feels a little afraid of something that another person might approach without a
care in the world.<span> </span>I, for instance, am
afraid of heights.<span> </span>So, when asked to
climb up a telephone pole and jump off to grab a trapeze swing, needless to say
I was a little hesitant; my palms sweated so much they dripped.<span> </span>One of the ways I deal with fears is to do
what I am afraid of, at least once.<span> </span>I
try to not let my fear keep me from doing whatever is before me.<span> </span>I think I should mention that the telephone
pole was on a ropes course, and I was strapped in a safety harness. I was the
first one up the pole that day, because I felt if I didn’t go up there first, I
might not go up there at all.<span> </span>I don’t
know if that makes sense to any of you, but that’s what works for me—being
first in a difficult situation and intentionally not letting my fears stop
me.<span> </span>This has worked for me on roller
coasters, rappelling, talking about my feelings, and so many other activities I
had difficulty with.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>So how do
you deal with situations when you feel some fear?<span> </span>Vasilisa dealt with fear by holding the doll
her mother gave her close to her chest, by feeding it and talking to it.<span> </span>This might seem like a child’s way to cope
with fear, but it did work for her, in essence, she had faith in the connection
with her deceased mother that her doll symbolized.<span> </span>In my practice as a psychotherapist, I
learned that there are certainly a number of more destructive ways of coping
with fear than holding and feeding a doll.<span>
</span>Loathe as I am to judge what people have faith in to help them cope with
fear, I do warn people of the danger of the inherently destructive coping
habits, like using drugs or alcohol or using any potentially addictive
behavior—sex, porn, overeating, risky stunts-- to cope with fear.<span> </span>As we grow and mature, it is certainly useful
to re-consider childhood coping methods, things/behaviors that we have faith
in, things that give us a little extra courage when we need it, to see if we
have outgrown them, if they are still working for us or to see if they are
leading to less than healthy tendencies or even to try on new behaviors,
rituals, strategies as we mature.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>And so I
wonder, how do we choose which spiritual coping strategies, ones<span> </span>that we have faith in, to help us with our
everyday need for courage?<span> </span>The other day
I attended a class called Religionless Christianity that gave me some
insight.<span> </span>What is Religionless
Christianity?<span> </span>Well I will get to that in
a moment.<span> </span>First, let me say that this
class started me considering the why’s and how’s of faith and spiritual coping
strategies.<span> </span>Foundational to my thinking
on this issue of courage is my belief that we all need a little help to bolster
our courage from time to time so we can get through what life presents us. <span> </span>Some might say that we need a little faith in
something to get us through some difficult situations.<span> </span>How do you find that extra courage?<span> </span>Do you make a conscious choice about where
that boost to your courage comes from?<span>
</span>Do you turn to friends, family, god, goddess, some form of
divinity?<span> </span>Do you turn to meditation,
prayer, ritual or an inanimate object that you have infused with some
significance?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Dietrich
Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, a theologian and an anti-Nazi
dissenter during World War II.<span> </span>He was
jailed for his dissention against the Nazis, and was involved in a failed
attempt to assassinate Hitler—he helped put together a plan in which someone
put a suitcase with explosives under a table where Hitler and others were
talking.<span> </span>I would say that early on in
his life Bonhoeffer found courage in his relationship with his god.<span> </span>Later in his life, his faith was based on his
fervent and passionate belief in the need to fight the Nazi regime and Hitler
in particular.<span> </span>But here’s the thing,
once he was imprisoned, once he had time to reflect on what it was that held
him together, what it was that gave him everyday courage, his faith
transformed, which in turn transformed him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>You can
find some clues to his evolving faith in his letters that were smuggled out
while he was in prison.<span> </span>He wrote such
things as: “I am often reluctant to name the name of God to religious
people…Religious people speak of God as a point where human knowledge is at an
end… or when human strength fails.<span>
</span>Actually, it’s a deus ex machina … to solve insolvable problems.” In
English that is "god out of the machine".<span> </span>The concept that god is somewhere out there
and comes, or swings, into one’s life when something needs to be fixed or to
solve an unsolvable problem.<span> </span>This is a
god-ness many people of various faiths believe.<span>
</span>They use their faith in this belief to give them the courage to face
difficult situations.<span> </span>The problem is
when the unsolvable remains unsolved—a person dies anyway, a person is still
ill, a hurricane changes its trajectory at the last minute-- this faith can
break down, leaving the person without a coping strategy, vulnerable, fragile,
without a foundation beneath their feet for what they are facing and for what
they may face in the future.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Unfortunately,
I have seen this too many times.<span> </span>I have
been called to help people rebuild a faith based on something other than a God
that will fix things.<span> </span>Bonhoeffer
wondered about a fix-it god after the failed attempt on Hitler’s life and
during his many years of imprisonment.<span> </span><span> </span>While in prison he also wrote: “We should find
God in what we know, not in what we don’t know.<span>
</span>God wants to be grasped by us not in unsolved questions, but in those
that have been solved.<span> </span>This is true of
the relation between God and Scientific knowledge, but it is also true of the
universal human questions about death, suffering, guilt,” and I would add fear,
and ultimately the courage to face all of these.<span> </span>In this concept of a personal God could still
be like Vasilisa’s doll, something that we infuse with meaning and purpose and
significance.<span> </span>Not a handyman god that
fixes your problems, but a faith that grounds us in something important and
meaningful to us—perhaps certain values, principles, or perhaps a connection to
a person or people or a community that is significant to us. Perhaps a model
such as the one that Bonhoeffer would later affirm: a Religionless
Christianity; that is using the life and teachings of Jesus as a model for
living.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">As Bonhoeffer reminds us: “The
‘religious act’—[which might be a prayer, a meditation, a ritual]-- is always
something partial, whereas ‘faith’ is something whole and involves the whole of
one’s whole life.”<span> </span>What we have faith in
comes from the whole of one’s liftime, from our experiences, from our
relationships, from our lived connections with all that is around us.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Bonhoeffer
goes on to assert that, “Our relationship to God—[at least a personal god as
Bonhoeffer understands it]-- is no ‘religious’ relationship to some highest,
most powerful and best being imaginable…that is no genuine
transcendence…[genuine] transcendence is not [found in] the infinite,
unattainable tasks, but [found in] the neighbor within reach in any given
situation.”<span> </span>He is suggesting that
through our relationships with people, friends, family, and stranger who are
within reach we can encounter the deeply spiritual, the meaningful, the
transcendent.<span> </span>These relationships are
what we can have faith in, in the here and the now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>He
concludes that we must “… recognize that [we] have to live in the world—‘etsi
deus non daretur’ [“as if God did not exist”]…god compels us to recognize
it.<span> </span>Thus, our coming of age leads us to
a truer recognition of our situation before God.<span> </span>God would have us know that we must live as
those who manage lives without God.”<span>
</span>According to Bonhoeffer, you must live in the world as if your god does
not exist.<span> </span>Live your life without having
faith in a god that will make things better.<span>
</span>Live your life having faith that you and those you are in relationship
with will make things better.<span> </span>Be the
change you seek in the world. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>This may
not be a novel concept to some of you.<span>
</span>And in true Unitarian Universalist fashion, even as I embrace this
theology, I still think that a sense of god, goddess or divinity is useful to
some of us, or at least useful to me.<span>
</span>And this is where Bonhoeffer’s idea of a Relgionless Christianity comes
from.<span> </span>Religions can and will only ever
see part of the truth of how the world works and how we can courageously face
what life presents to us.<span> </span>There is no
perfect religion, as there is no perfect god to have faith in all the time in
every situation.<span> </span>Religions have
traditions, rituals, knowledge in which we can ground our faith sometimes, but
not wholly, not over the whole of human experience or the whole of each human;
all of the world’s religious traditions are always partial.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">What we ground ourselves in, what
we have faith in, what helps us in those times when we need everyday courage,
needs to be fluid, responsive to us as we change and everything that changes
around us. A rock that we hold onto in one storm, may only work sometimes, and
not in every storm.<span> </span>We may need many
different talismans, rituals, traditions, dolls, people, gods or
goddesses—throughout a lifetime.<span> </span>And
none of them will fix any of what we may be called to face.<span> </span>We use them to help us be brave to feel what
we need to feel, to work through what we must work through, so we don’t feel so
alone and so that we are confident that we have the strength or courage we need
in a given situation.<span> </span>And it is really
helpful to build within ourselves a sense of resilience in the face of fear and
anxiety.<span> </span>How do we do this?<span> </span>By developing a rich deep faith, based on
ritual, traditions, dolls, people, gods or goddesses that hold meaning for
you.<span> </span>A faith that you can share with
others, a faith you can live in the world, a faith that you continue to explore
and consider for a lifetime.<span> </span>A faith that
has real connections to this world, including the people in your life and your
sense of who you are in this world.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Everyday courage is not something
we have to find alone.<span> </span>There is so much
out there to help you find the courage you need when you need it, if you but
reach out to the hand of another, if you but make time in your life to look
within yourself, if you but find the meaningful, the significant, the
transcendent in your life.<span> </span>Faith is a
verb.<span> </span>Go out and live it.</span></p>
<p></p><p><br />
</p>The Human Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079666206409444423noreply@blogger.com0